American Exceptionalism

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In modern today compared to history, there are multiple perspectives of the actual definition of ‘American Exceptionalism’. The government officials of this nation and different nations have their own view of American Exceptionalism. The entire society as a whole civilization has their thoughts of what American exceptionalism entails. The first aspect that should be acknowledged in the dimensions of American Exceptionalism is the facet of addressing the definition of exceptionalism set apart from the nation of America. According to Merriam dictionary; the terminology exceptionalism simply means: “the condition of being different from the norm; also: a theory expounding the exceptionalism of a nation or region.” After research, I realized that …show more content…

In the words of an English scholar; G.K. Chesterton “America is the only nation in the world that is founded on a creed”. In history, the United Stated displayed a high level of exceptionalism as far as democracy and morality; America claimed the purpose for their behavior was in the effort of freedom. In 1831, Alexis De Tocqueville stated “he noticed that the American idea of “nationality” was “different” based less on common history or ethnicity than on common beliefs”. To elaborate on this statement, I believe that Tocqueville was basically expressing the America has no equal. The nation exceptionalism has a significant correlation to the Manifest Destiny (Jacksonian democratic term, 1840), which focused on …show more content…

Critics of American Exceptionalism view this factor as ignorance on behalf of the nation, specifically faulting the government for it belief in the display of American exceptionalism. America has been accused of performing as a “nation above all other nations”, pushing its hegemony on other parts of the world, in addition to focusing on its own interest, with no thought for other nations. One that a fact that has impacted the perspective of social mobility in the United Stated is: in 2005 a study discovered that children that are born into poverty in US are less likely to find prosperity as opposed to a child that is born into poverty in Europe and Canada. Individuals in opposition of American Exceptionalism indicted the fact that the US possesses inspirational values; however, they display arrogance in national affairs and intervene in other nations affairs for self-interest rather than stimulating democracy and freedom. Another thing that critics seem to believe is that America is less of exceptionalism and more along the terms of ethnocentrism and propaganda. In their arguments, the critics take the approach of comparing America to other nations and their nature or destiny. One of the provided aspects that critics state about America is that it is not distinctive; other countries also welcome immigrants to the same

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