The United States Of America

There are many misconceptions of American exceptionalism that causes the belief to grow. In the article, “The Myth of American Exceptionalism” by Stephen M. Walt, the author explores five myths of the belief and how America may not be as exceptional as one might believe it to be. One of these misconceptions is that America is more well behaved than other nations thus making the country more special and allowing their morals to spread as they please. People, especially most American citizens, see the US as a country that sets the standard and can do no harm or wrong in the world as it always follows the rules. While we might wish that were true, it is not as throughout history there have been many blunders by the US which have gone against their ideals and main principles. For example, when the US first was established

Count Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) was a part of the French government and held many positions as a magistrate and political observer. Most of his observations were done on political observations and writings workings of the United States. After some time, he became a reliable source for historical and contemporary aspects of American culture. In Origin of Anglo-Americans Tocqueville makes an excellent point,

American Exceptionalism is a term used to define the ideal that America is far superior to all other countries. It has been used to justify unfair actions and used to cover up flaws. Children are taught from a young age that America is the model country, and the people living there can do no wrong. In school, each bad thing that America has done in history is skimmed over, yet the accomplishments and victories are taught in great detail. For years, Americans have hid behind the phrase American exceptionalism as a way to not only avoid taking responsibility for their actions but to not push themselves to be better, as they already consider themselves perfect. The concept of this exceptionalism impedes the progress and evolution of mankind as they give up caring and trying to better themselves.

As some believe that America sees itself as superior to other countries and that we abuse our freedoms and opportunities, others believe that America is represented by our history and the desire to bring freedom and opportunity to U.S. citizens and to spread it to other countries around the world. America gives opportunities and life long dreams to people who want to start a new start on life. With the help of our government, we have both private and public interest groups that give Americans the opportunity to thrive in our growing country. U.S. citizens are able to live freely because of the country we live in and our history’s impact on the freedoms and opportunities that we still have to this day from important documents, such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The main role of American Exceptionalism is to “serve as a role model to mankind,” (Foner) and to bring opportunity and freedom to the people of not only America but also all around the world.

Some people seem to question the concept of American exceptionalism, while others know and interpret it differently. American exceptionalism has various definitions and has been used by many politicians. The most accurate way to define American exceptionalism, though, would be to think of it as a concept that refers to the United States of America as a uniquely free country that is different from other nations based on its principles, history, and political system. Over the years, American exceptionalism has been an important topic of debate with people asking whether it is real and whether it is good. The purpose of this paper is to argue whether American exceptionalism is a real concept that makes America unique from other nations. I seek to show how the idea of American exceptionalism, which has been discussed by many people since the 19th century, could be real and flawed at the same time. Ultimately, this research will shed light on the different myths of American exceptionalism as well as whether it makes America a unique democracy and how diverse groups of people interpret it.

The concept of American exceptionalism refers to the fact that America see itself as a unique country that is based on democracy as well as personal liberties. In many occasions, the idea is thought to have originated from the ancient political institutions that characterized the American a long period ago from between 1776 to 1789. The idea of exceptionalism has made the US stand out among many nations across the world due to its unique stand on matters of democracy every person and their personal liberty.

American exceptionalism is the informal ideology that America is exceptional. That it exceeds, excels and is unique compared to other nations, and does not conform to a pattern or a norm. Americans believe their nation is unique and superior because of the country’s founding liberal principles, with the conviction that the United States has a special destiny among nations (Patman 2007, p. 964). Although the vast majority of Americans will not utter the words American exceptionalism, it is synonymous with the “American way of life” (Patman 2007, p. 964) otherwise known as the “American dream”. This paper will examine whether America is genuinely unique and thus exceptional, and argue that American exceptionalism is indeed a reality. To demonstrate

American Exceptionalism is the idea that the United States is uniquely special, superior, and different from other nations. First, America is inheritently different because of the way the country was founded and because of the principles it was founded on. The principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence have allowed for the United States to acquire advancements and achievements that place our country in a better standing when compared to others.

America is like the 800-pound gorilla in every room in the world. When it gets a cold, the world wheezes, when it has a tingle, the world scratches. When it neglects to act, it regularly sends a swell around the globe. For some, it is a model for different societies to imitate. This thought of American exceptionalism really has numerous roots and numerous varieties. One is the old Puritan idea, in light of a John Winthrop sermon, that America is a "city upon a hill." This notion of America as "God's country" or the new "Promised Land" later got secularized and blended with thoughts of emancipation inferred from the American Revolution. It is this secularized thought that is most predominant today. The point when Presidents Ronald Reagan

During the 2012 campaign, Mitt Romney declared, “Our president doesn't have the same feeling about American exceptionalism that we do.” (Romney, 2012) Not everything can be blamed on the Obama administration, Americans attitudes have changes and so have the ideas that made America special. It can be argued that religiosity, patriotism, and mobility are fading. (Beinart, 2014) As America and Europe have changed over time, so have the attributes that exceptionalists claim distinguish us from them. In the eyes of the contemporary right, there are three components that make up American exceptionalism: “our belief in organized religion; our belief that America has a special mission to spread freedom in the world; and our belief that we are a classless society where, through limited government and free enterprise, anyone can get ahead.” (Beinart, 2014) Trump states, “When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice. The Bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity.” (Trump, 2017) In this one statement he notes the importance of patriotism and how religion shapes people morally. Patriotism is an important aspect of American exceptionalism because the rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is an essence of American exceptionalism. Freedom

American Exceptionalism is a reflection of America’s long history, it is the understanding of judgment of other cultures through the standards of their own. America is thought to be the country that is made up of various races and ethnicities. The culture that is founded upon constitutional rights and the ticket of freedom. As the saying goes “God bless America”, many people will go forth to say it is the country that is superior to others because of its freedom and opportunity. The term “American exceptionalism” illustrates the belief that eventually ties upon Transcendentalism. American Exceptionalism is clearly defined as the value of the country, as America is charged with the care taking of the world from itself. In addition must sustain

According to Koh (9), “American Exceptionalism” is the belief that the United States is different from every other nation in the world. These differences are due to its unique origins and melting pot, history, and political and religious institution. It is the belief that other nations are corrupt while the United States holds liberty, equality, individualism, and laissez-faire near and dear to it. This thought makes the United States believe they are exempt from international laws and rules. The way the country is set up is pushing citizens to think America is the best out of them all.

The United States was constructed into a democratic society, therefore establishing the power of American citizens. Once the rights and protections of Americans were authorized, the citizens needed the government to insure them, which often comes by law enforcement. Law enforcement agencies are a major component of the criminal justice system, which enforces the law and provides the community with protection. However, in some cities law enforcement has been unable to ensure consistent protection for citizens, due to lack of resources. The budget cuts in California dating back to 2008 are still negatively affecting cities in the state. For example, Oakland Police Department cut back on traffic stops, drug investigation, property crime, and

Over the centuries, the concept of “American Exceptionalism” has been controversially debated in both political and academic aspects. Prima facie, the phrase American Exceptionalism is self-explanatory. It refers to the ideology that the United States possess the special character as a uniquely free nation based on democratic ideals and personal liberty as a result of its distinguish historical development. With these inherent differences from other nations, it presumes that the United States’ values, political system and culture are exclusive and worthy of worldwide appreciation. Thus, implying that the United States is entitled to take the global leading role in upholding international norms, while at the same time, should be excusable to

American Exceptionalism refers to the image portrayed by the United States of America as a unique and distinct nation with strong pillars of democracy and liberty. The image stands out globally and defines the U.S. as a nation founded on a viable constitution since its inception in 1776. The other inferences linked to its uniqueness include strong political institutions and American Revolution. These events happened relatively at the same period in the rich American history. Thereafter, they contributed to the modern day American Exceptionalism. In this regard, the American Revolution and the emancipation from the British rule contributed to the American Exceptionalism ideology. However, different schools of thought have emerged that present different views on the subject of Exceptionalism.