“The original meaning of American Exceptionalism involved a statement of fact: for the first century after the Constitution went into effect, European observers and Americans alike saw the United States as exceptional, with political and civic cultures that had no counterparts anywhere else.
In American Exceptionalism: An Experiment in History, Charles Murray describes how America’s geography, ideology, politics, and daily life set the new nation apart from Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. He then discusses the ways that exceptionalism changed during America’s evolution over the course of the 20th century. Which changes are gains to be applauded? Which are losses to be mourned? Answering these questions is the essential first step in discovering what you want for America’s future.There are four arguments professor Dr. Charles Murray, co author of “The Bell Curve” makes in his book “American Exceptionalism” to demonstrate exceptionalism:
1. Observers through out the western world saw America as exceptional, something different from what was going on elsewhere throughout Europe.
2. American exceptionalism doesn’t always refer to what was seen by western observers as positive traits. I.e. Americans tended to industrious, egalitarianism, religiosity, and community life, something that Murray ties all together under the category of “civic engagement.”
3. Exceptionalism is…or was…a fact that cannot be denied any more than that the Gettysburg address happened. Further, understanding what it means is essential to understanding what it means to be an American.
4. American exceptionalism refers primarily to qualities that were observed during the first century of American history.
America’s setting (separated from Western Europe by an ocean), form of government (a republic), and the characteristics of the population (Toqueville and others described Americans propensity for industry, egalitarianism, religiosity, and community life) made for a place that was unique among the nations.
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