A lot of what you ask seems that it could be a personal question depending on who you ask.<p>I certainly wouldn&#x27;t presume or preach to others with regards to how they view their country, however:<p>1. We (I&#x27;m an expat as well) pay little taxes to the U.S. because of the foreign earned income credit. The paperwork is onerous, yes. But it&#x27;s not as bad as some make it out to be, unless you&#x27;re in an exceptional income bracket.<p>2. A U.S. passport is a powerful thing. And as the OP mentioned, the benefits are real. We look after our own. <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.passportindex.org&#x2F;byRank.php" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.passportindex.org&#x2F;byRank.php</a><p>3. Many U.S. expats wouldn&#x27;t dream of renouncing their citizenship, because it simply means more to them than that.<p>It&#x27;s more than residency, it&#x27;s identity. And it&#x27;s something we pay into. Many Americans will tell you...they don&#x27;t like a lot of taxes...but they &#x2F;will&#x2F; pay taxes, and they expect everyone to. It&#x27;s a &quot;we&#x27;re all in this together&quot; bit. Even if you&#x27;re abroad, and you&#x27;re paying a paltry amount, you&#x27;re still chipping in.<p>Just something many of us do.