American Exceptionalism
hen the American electorate re-elected George . Bush as their President in November 2004, the rest of the world shook its head in collective amazement. They could not understand how someone the world 'loved to hate' and who, in their opinion, had committed 'monumental blunders' in his four years in office, could be chosen by so many Americans as their leader. They need not have been surprised having been forewarned by people such as Alexis de Tocqueville and Seymour Lipset about the phenomenon called 'American Exceptionalism.' Good or bad, America is different and the Americans often behave in vastly different ways from people living in the rest of the world. This essay highlights some of these differences.
The roots of 'American Exceptionalism' can be traced to the very origin of the country -- the United States having been founded on the principles of "equality," the inalienable rights of man and…...
mlaWorks Cited
From sea to shining sea." The Economist. November 6, 2003. March 1, 2005. http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=2172052
Lipset, Seymour Martin. "Still the Exceptional Nation?" The Wilson Quarterly. Volume: 24. Issue: 1. (2000): 31.
Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859), French political thinker and historian -- author of "Democracy in America."
Seymour Martin Lipset is author of "American Exceptionalism." (1995)
When we speak of Puritanical values, however, some events in America's history seriously clash with its "pure values" or its belief that it's a world liberator. The first one was slavery. No where in the world have we witnessed just harsh case of slavery as in the United States. To this day, African-Americans have been unable to liberate themselves completely from the ugly history of slavery that had seriously marred social relations in the country. Would it be wrong to assume that pure values somehow did not consider slavery a contaminated value? How can puritans justify enslavement of tens of hundreds of blacks from Africa? There is no way America can seriously believe in its puritanical values and still justify its ugly past.
But in its defense, we can say that America was in the end responsible for abolishment of slavery too. If it started slavery, then it brought an end…...
mlaReferences
James a. Morone.(2004) Hellfire Nation: The Politics of Sin in American History (Paperback) Yale University Press
Deborah L. Madsen. (1998) American Exceptionalism. University Press of Mississippi
Seymour Martin Lipset. American Exceptionalism: A Double-Edged Sword (Paperback)
W.W. Norton & Co. (April 17, 1997)
" This view appears to be excessively negative, not least because of its lack of balance. It fails to acknowledge balance and uses all arguments to the contrary to perpetuate itself. Neither the view of American exceptionalism being wholly good or wholly bad is therefore entirely realistic.
Much more realistic is perhaps Koh's view, although it still tends towards the somewhat negative side. I do agree with this author in terms of the double standard issue. However, several of the other issues appear to be an attempt to unnecessarily demonize and complicate the issue of American exceptionalism. Towards a more balanced view, it is important to weigh both the positive and negative aspects of American exceptionalism equally.
Such a view is presented by Dennis Phillips (2), who accurately notes that "a balanced approach to the study of American exceptionalism is easily distorted by assumptions of superiority." Indeed such assumptions lie at the…...
American Exceptionalism
While some believe that America is truly exceptional, others believe that it is just another country in history that has many of the same problems that other countries have. Furthermore, some people even go further towards the opposite end of the spectrum, against the idea of the U.S. being exceptional in any way, and believe that its actions and its presence are largely counterproductive among world affairs. For example, in one international Gallop poll, individuals were surveyed with a few questions about world peace and what they believed were the greatest threats to peace. Within the United States, the majority of people felt that Iran was the world's biggest threat to world peace. However, individuals living outside the U.S. that were surveyed believed that the United States was the greatest threat to world peace by an overwhelming margin. However, despite the individual perspective, it is hard to argue that…...
The Myth of American Exceptionalism
The myth of American exceptionalism is a familiar one to Americans and non-Americans alike. It suggest that America, as the home of the free and the brave, is unique in its allowance of freedom and social mobility, in contrast to Europe, Asia, and other, much older civilizations. Yet as noted by Stephen M. Walt in his essay, “The Myth of American Exceptionalism,” perhaps one of the most ordinary aspects of America is its view of itself as exceptional. A more critical approach to America’s history, ideology, and identity is needed for America to move forward and to make needed political and social evolution into the future. Of course, it is fine to take pride in one’s nation. But to view one nation as exceptional and the only nation worthy of defending and defining liberty will inevitably lead to strife with the rest of the world.
Walt notes…...
To wit, "half of Americans deem religion very important in their lives; fewer than a quarter in Spain (22%) feel this way, and in Germany (21%), Britain (17%) and France (13%), even fewer say religion is "very important" to their lives (PE).
Fifty-three percent of Americans are more apt to agree that it is vital to believe in God prior to having good morals and values while just 33% of Germans, 20% of the British, 19% of Spaniards and 15% of those in France agree with that statement. omen and the elderly are more apt to agree that God is indeed the "necessary foundation for morality and good values" (PE). Fifty-nine percent of American women say religion is "very important" to them but only 41% of American men agree with that statement (PE).
Meanwhile, in the Journal of Beliefs and Values (illiams, et al., 2009) the authors point out that in…...
mlaWorks Cited
Adams, James, and Ezrow, Lawrence. (2009). Who Do European Parties Represent? How
Western European Parties Represent the Policy Preferences of Opinion Leaders. The Journal
of Politics, 71(1), 206-223.
Bernstein, Elizabeth, and Jakobsen, Janet R. (2010). Sex, Secularism and Religious Influence
The quest for primacy is likely to lead to the formation of adversarial alliances and greater distrust of American intentions, endangering international stability and peace. In the domestic sphere, quest for primacy will lead to greater abuse of power and the expansion of the military, threatening the health of American democracy. Democracy may be eroded and the U.S. economy may be drained before advocates of American primacy may achieve their dream of American primacy.
orks Cited
Allison, Graham and Philip Zelikow. Essence of Decision: Explaining Cuban Missile Crisis. New York: Longman, 1999.
Bacevich, Andrew. The New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by ar. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Blainey, Geoffrey. The Causes of ar. New York: Free Press, 1973.
Jervis, Robert. "Cooperation Under the Security Dilemma," orld Politics 30.2 (1978): 167-214. JSTOR. eb 14 Oct. 2011.
Jervis, Robert. System Effects: Complexity in Political and Social Life. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999. Print.
Levy,…...
mlaWorks Cited
Allison, Graham and Philip Zelikow. Essence of Decision: Explaining Cuban Missile Crisis. New York: Longman, 1999.
Bacevich, Andrew. The New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Blainey, Geoffrey. The Causes of War. New York: Free Press, 1973.
Jervis, Robert. "Cooperation Under the Security Dilemma," World Politics 30.2 (1978): 167-214. JSTOR. Web 14 Oct. 2011.
This viewpoint was the justification for global colonization, the enslavement of numerous groups of indigenous people, and the massive enforcement of certain religions (such as Christianity) on different peoples throughout the world. There are a couple of interesting facts in denoting the contemporary view of this subject among the Western world. The U.S. was the only country surveyed in which more people still adhered to the belief that their culture was better than that of other civilizations and countries. All of the European countries have apparently abandoned this notion, or at the very least have more people who disbelieve the fact that they are culturally superior to others than those who do. Germany is nearly evenly divided on this subject (No author, 2011).
The category in which the U.S.'s views on autonomy are most prevalent is that in which compares the values of individualism vs. The importance of a state…...
mlaReferences
No author. (2011). "American exceptionalism subsides: the American-Western European values gap." PewResearchCenter. Retrieved from http://www.pewglobal.org /2011/11/17/the-american-western-european-values-gap/
What were the primary motivations and factors that led to the U.S. shift from isolationism and continental expansion to imperialism by the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
Introduction
America’s so-called “shift” from isolationism and continental expansion to imperialism by the late 19th and early 20th centuries was really nothing more than a natural evolution of America’s “Manifest Destiny.” Before the US could enter its imperial phase beginning with the Spanish-American War at the turn of the century, it had first to square accounts on the continent by pushing its borders as far as they could be pushed. Once the West had been thoroughly settled and the Union held together (the major conflict of the 19th century), the US could turn its attention to foreign lands and global plans to facilitate the spread of the American Empire. It would have been impossible for the US to achieve imperial objectives any earlier, for…...
mlaBibliography
Lease, Mary Elizabeth. Women in the Farmers’ Alliance. (1891). In Reading the American Past, Vol. 2. Ed. By Michael P. Johnson. Bedford/St. Martins, 2012.O’Sullivan, John. "Manifest destiny." Sanford, Manifest Destiny (1845): 26-32.Peck, Mary Gray. Carrie Chapman Catt: A Biography. New York: HW Wilson Company, 1944.Smith, Adam. The wealth of nations. Aegitas, 2016.Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, and Alan Lawson. Understanding the American promise, volume 2: from 1865: a brief history of the United States. Vol. 2. Macmillan, 2011.
history seems only like a carefully curated set of facts, figures, and events that when taken together promote a specific ideology or worldview. Thus, Americans focus almost exclusively on people, places, and events that uphold the idea of American exceptionalism. ars and the conquests of men overshadow the lives of women, and Europeans are given precedence. The quote by .E.B. DuBois underscores the inherent falseness in approaching history, given that on some level there will always be editorializing. Howard Zinn also reassembles American history in a way that subverts the paradigm that had been taught related to the supremacy of capitalism and the white-washing of key turning points. A People's History of the United States gives voice to those who were systematically suppressed or oppressed. Likewise, Loewen's Lies My Teachers Told Me undoes the brainwashing that schoolchildren in the United States endure.
Loewen and Zinn take up .E.B DuBois on…...
mlaWorks Cited
Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me. New York: Touchstone, 2007.
Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States. Online version at: http://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html
Robert Kohls, most Americans are unaware of the values that shape their worldviews. I completely agree with the author's assessment in "The Values Americans Live By." Americans are extremely concerned with values such as self-reliance and independence because these extend from the myths of American exceptionalism and concepts like Manifest Destiny. Americans have been taught to celebrate pioneers of the Wild West and the cowboy culture that goes along with it. Collaboration and cooperation take a back seat in America to values like self-help. For example, Kohls notes that in other cultures, a person asking for directions will often find that someone will walk with them until they find what they are seeking. This is of course not true for all other cultures, but certainly some. One of Kohls's goals is to show readers why some foreigners seem perplexed about American culture, and the seeming dichotomies therein. Americans see themselves…...
American Empire
Is There Room at the Top?
The question as to whether the United States is currently and will remain a superpower is the topic of much scholarly debate and in the general population around the dinner table. The follow up question to that, of course is, is there room at the top for another superpower, and if so which country or countries will rise to the occasion? Is America really finished as the world's superpower? There are respected intellectual, members of the elite media core, think tank theorists, and many in society at large that seem to think so. In many newspapers, magazines, and on reputable news programs around the world, learner authors announce the end of the American era and advise that the rise of China and India, the resurgence of Putin's Russia, and the noted expansion of the European Union signifies a significant and profound shit in geopolitical…...
mlaBibliography
China State Council, (2005). White paper: China's peaceful development road. Accessed 28, January 2009 at:
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200512/22/eng20051222_230059.html
Goldstein, A. (2005). Rising to the challenge: China's grand strategy and international security. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Ikenberry, J. (2008). The rise of China and the future of the West. Foreign Affairs,
Such was the case with Vietnam and Iraq (Hanhim ki, 2004). The people of these nations have to deal with the absence of utilities and the destruction of the nation's infrastructure (roads, hospitals, schools). The people also have to deal with the general instability of the country and the government caused by the American invasion.
While many American families have lost loved ones in the war, the majority of Americans are not personally affected by the war in the manner that the Iraqi people are affected. Not only are such policies detrimental to people who have to live through war, Americans suffer in far reaching ways (Pierce). According to an article entitled "American Values or Human ights" contains a quote from Henry Kisiinger which states, the tradition known as American exceptionalism, within which American values were historically embedded, was one of the most important casualties of the Vietnam War...he claimed…...
mlaReferences
Garfinkle, a. (2003). Foreign Policy Immaculately Conceived. Policy Review, (120), 61+.
Klare, M. (2008). The New Geopolitics of Energy. Retrieved July 29, 2008, at http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080519/klare
Hanhim ki, J. (2004). The Flawed Architect: Henry Kissinger and American Foreign Policy. New York: Oxford University Press.
Kane, J. (2003). American Values or Human Rights? U.S. Foreign Policy and the Fractured Myth of Virtuous Power. Presidential Studies Quarterly, 33(4), 772+.
.....grand overarching themes connecting American history with the history of the world is the theme of population migration. The American narrative is frequently framed as a narrative of continual migration. American migration patterns have continually shifted, from the prehistoric migrations of people via the Siberian land bridge and early Viking migrations to North America through the more familiar American narrative of the first pilgrims arriving from England. Both McKeown (2004) and Tyrell (2007b) points out, educators need to be careful to avoid repeating the Eurocentric or even purely Anglocentric narrative of migration. Migration is not a static process that has clear beginnings and endings, but is an ongoing process in which groups of people gradually shift their identities as well as their geospatial surroundings. Kupperman (2002) warns educators against perpetuating the "central myth" of an American history that simly started in the east with the pilgrims and ended in the…...
Era of the American Revolution, 1760-1791, by Richard D. Brown. Specifically it will use only pages 47-59 & 79-87 to answer the following question: Did a separate Colonial identity emerge in the decades before the American Revolution?
MAJOR PROBLEMS
Ultimately, a separate Colonial identity was emerging as soon as the first settlers touched land in America in the 1600s. The colony was formed with dissidents who left England because of religious persecution, and they were far enough away from the mother country to form their own working political relationships. As essayist Greene notes, the relationship between England and America was "in many respects an uneasy connection" (Greene 48). By the 1760s, we had developed our own judicial system, our own educational system, and our own political institutions, such as the assembly, which actually worked better than their English counterparts did. The colonists were also productive and successful. Many who had moved…...
mlaWorks Cited
Anderson, Fred. "Friction Between Colonial Troops and British Regulars." Major Problems in the Era of the American Revolution, 1760-1791. Richard D. Brown, ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. pp. 79-87.
Greene, Jack P. "The Preconditions of the American Revolution." Major Problems in the Era of the American Revolution, 1760-1791. Richard D. Brown, ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. pp. 47-59.
America's greatness is a topic that is constantly debated. While some may believe that America's greatness is undeniable due to its economic power, military strength, and cultural influence, others argue that there are many issues within the country such as social inequality, political polarization, and systemic racism that undermine its greatness. Ultimately, whether America's greatness is considered undeniable or debatable depends on individual perspectives and values.
From a historical perspective, America's greatness has been a point of contention throughout its existence. While the country has certainly achieved many remarkable accomplishments and advancements in various fields, it has also faced significant challenges....
1. The Role of Religious Faith in the Mormon Migration
Examine how the theological beliefs and prophetic visions of Brigham Young and other Mormon leaders motivated their followers to endure the arduous journey westward.
Analyze the ways in which Mormonism provided a sense of purpose and community during the migration, shaping their experiences and decision-making.
Discuss the impact of religious persecution on Mormon motivations and their determination to establish a new home for their faith.
2. The Challenges and Perils of the Mormon Trail
Describe the physical hardships faced by Mormon pioneers along the trail, including extreme weather, disease, and lack....
I. Introduction
II. Body
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