The purpose of the article is to characterize the state of patriotic education and the national idea in Russia and the modern world. The work uses formal legal, historical, sociological, systemic methods, methods of analysis and synthesis, interpretation of legal norms and comparative. The article analyzes the significance of patriotic education and the national idea in Russia and the modern world. The problem of correlation of constitutional values is revealed. Based on the analysis of the legal regulation of public relations in Russian legislation, it was concluded that the most powerful and viable state can only become if there is a national idea supported by the entire people, based on unity and interethnic harmony. Therefore, the implementation of a common national policy is a condition for ensuring security. At the same time, patriotism is not so much a national idea as a direction, a fundamental position in such a concept.