Includes bibliographical references and index.

Ch. 1. What does it mean to be patriotic? Overview : there are many differing opinions about what constitutes patriotism / USA Today -- Conflicting patriotic traditions have served American values / Woden Teachout -- The question of who is, or is not, patriotic often poisons national debates / Barack Obama -- Patriotism is more closely linked to dissent than to conformity / Ron Paul -- Patriotism is love of country, not of government or its policies / Ron Sparks -- Patriotism means commitment to one's own country, not just to universal ideals / Jack Kerwick -- Patriotism is a complex and deeply personal emotion / Maryna Hrushetska -- True patriotism demands commitment to continuing progress / Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer -- Ch. 2. Is patriotism on the decline? Discouragement of patriotism leads to the loss of national will / Thomas Sowell -- The cooling of patriotism is real and extremely dangerous / Lloyd Marcus -- Young people lack national spirit / Sally Friedman -- Nearly all Americans see themselves as patriotic / Kathy Frankovic -- Patriotism is evident throughout America / Scott T. Sturkol -- American patriotism is alive and well / Jeanette Krebs -- A new form of patriotism is inspiring Americans to help each other / Patricia J. Williams -- Political liberals as well as conservatives are now promoting patriotism / Michael Kazin -- Ch. 3. Is patriotism desirable? Patriotism fuels and advances the nation / Geoffrey Whitener -- Patriotism can serve constructive purposes in education / Peter Levine -- Patriotism is misunderstood by its opponents / Bookworm -- Nations should not be valued merely for their own sake / Ilya Somin -- Patriotism conflicts with the idea that government exists to serve the people / George Kateb -- The cultivation of patriotism by governments never leads to good / The Radix -- Ch. 4. Should flag-burning be banned by law? Overview : most Americans want flag burning banned but say it has low priority / Paul Taylor -- The Supreme Court deprived Americans of the right to protect the flag / Clarence E. Hill -- The flag is important and should be protected by a constitutional amendment / John Andretti -- Banning desecration of the flag is necessary and has nothing to do with partisan politics / David G. Bancroft -- The Founders agreed that the First Amendment protected symbolic acts / Eugene Volokh -- Flag burning neither compromises national security nor indicates treason / Julie Marsh -- Taking away the right to defile the flag would violate the ideals for which it stands / Odeliah Dorko.