'' Support the Troops!'': The Social and Political Currency of Patriotism in the United States

This article explores the meaning of patriotism in the lives of United States citizens, and specifically how and why patriotism is mobilized as a social force, particularly in times of perceived crisis. Identifying two principal patriotic styles-"deferential" and "inquisitive"-it is argued that the distribution of these styles reflects relational social and political structures of claim making in a democracy, interconnected to individuals' desire to belong to something greater than themselves, and especially to be recognized by others as belonging. In other words, different patriotic styles reflect the relative difficulty or ease individuals and groups experience in establishing and affirming their belonging and social worth, and translating this citizenship into effective political participation. The article explores how these patriotic styles relate to the functioning of the democratic state in times of crisis, and how patriotic attachments serve or do not serve the interests of citizens.