American Exceptionalism: A Double-edged Sword"American values are quite complex," writes Seymour Martin Lipset, "particularly because of paradoxes within our culture that permit pernicious and beneficial social phenomena to arise simultaneously from the same basic beliefs." Born out of revolution, the United States has always considered itself an exceptional country of citizens unified by an allegiance to a common set of ideals, individualism, anti-statism, populism, and egalitarianism. This ideology, Professor Lipset observes, defines the limits of political debate in the United States and shapes our society. American Exceptionalism explains why socialism has never taken hold in the United States, why Americans are resistant to absolute quotas as a way to integrate blacks and other minorities, and why American religion and foreign policy have a moralistic, crusading streak. |
Contents
Contents | 11 |
Introduction | 17 |
Ideology Politics and Deviance | 31 |
Economy Religion and Welfare | 53 |
Socialism and Unionism in the United States and Canada | 77 |
Blacks and Whites | 113 |
Politically Incorrect | 176 |
American ExceptionalismJapanese Uniqueness | 211 |
A DoubleEdged Sword | 267 |
Individualism and Group Obligation | 293 |
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Common terms and phrases
1990 World Values academic affirmative action African Americans Ameri American exceptionalism American Jews anti-Semitism anti-statist attitudes behavior believe blacks Canada Canadian century civil rights classical liberal Communist compared conservative countries crime cross-national culture decline Democracy developed economic egalitarian elections electoral elite emphasized Engels equality ethnic Europe European favor Gallup Ibid ideology income indicate individual individualistic industrial institutions intellectuals International Irving Kristol Japan Japanese Jewish labor Ladd leaders leftist less liberal Louis Hartz major Marx ment meritocracy minorities moral movement Nathan Glazer neoconservatives noted organizations party percent policies population postfeudal proportion Protestant quotas racial radical rates religion religious reported Republicans Research response Robert role sectarian Seymour Martin Lipset social democratic socialist society Statistical stress tion Tocqueville trade union traditional unique United University Press vote welfare whites women workers World Values Survey York
References to this book
Constructing the World Polity: Essays on International Institutionalization John Gerard Ruggie No preview available - 1998 |
The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future is Quietly Eclipsing ... Jeremy Rifkin No preview available - 2004 |