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The Atlantic ·For the curious

The Two Kinds of American Patriotism

by Gal Beckerman

Published 2026-06-08 07:00:00-04:00

If a country is always a work in progress, how do you actually love it?

0:00 / 13:56 · Narrator Charon

Context

Political debates usually force a choice between unconditional flag-waving and bitter national criticism. An 8 June 2026 essay from The Atlantic steps away from that noise to look at how American patriotism actually functions. The framework remains highly relevant because it offers a quiet, durable alternative for a divided public. Instead of treating national identity as a divine mandate or a failed promise, the author approaches citizenship like the exhausted, hopeful work of raising a child.

Show notes

An analysis of the historical divide between two competing versions of American patriotism, prompted by Dominic Erdozain’s book To Love a Country. The essay contrasts the tradition of unquestioning national loyalty with an approach that treats the United States as an unfinished project. Drawing on figures from Randolph Bourne to Martin Luther King Jr., it outlines a model of citizenship based on continuous reform.

Read on The Atlantic →