The Hague, America, a unique country on the world stage, is truly a gift to humanity. The world as it stands today exists only because of the awesome power of the United States and its diverse people. American Exceptionalism – the aggregate of values and traditions that makes the American identity – undergirds America’s social structure and binds the nation together, enabling the United States’ strength. American identity is heavily influenced by classical Western identity, and thus the two can not be completely separated. The Judeo-Christian values of individualism, equality, and charity underpin American strength and generosity and solidify the country’s character. Formidable constitutional protections – unprecedented prior to America’s founding – sustain the freedom that personifies the United States’ international image. A firm historical record of overcoming adversity and championing freedom provides a distinctive legitimacy. However, in the 21st century, there is an increasing percentage of Americans who see the U.S. in a negative light, shunning past achievements and viewing the U.S. as fundamentally flawed. A loss of faith in American exceptionalism risks the collapse of the democratic world order.
Judeo-Christian values have, from the very start, fashioned the basis of American behavior. The Pilgrims came to America seeking the freedom to practice their faith, and many subsequent colonial settlements followed suit; be they Rhode Island as a home for disparate religious groups or William Penn’s Quaker Pennsylvania, Judeo-Christian faith was the heart of what would become America. Likewise, the Founding Fathers recognized the indelible importance of faith in society. George Washington stated: "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” Alexander Hamilton also saw value in faith and God: “The sacred rights of mankind... are written... by the hand of the Divinity itself, and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.” Finally, even Adams spoke of their importance: “And what were these general Principles [on which America was founded]? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity, in which all those Sects were United: And the general Principles of English and American Liberty, in which all those young Men United, and which had United all Parties in America, in Majorities Sufficient to assert and maintain her Independence.”
Since its founding, America has remained a nation rooted in Judeo-Christian values. These principles contribute to the American identity and exceptionalism in their outgrowths. Every moral system sprouts from a foundation of deeply held beliefs, and the clear Judeo-Christian origins of America’s, and indeed the West’s, moral precepts guide the liberal democratic order.
Central to Judeo-Christian teaching is the idea of free will. Free will is alike to the very American concept of individualism, which makes possible the foundation of our economic prowess: capitalism. The American capitalistic, free market society has the individual at its core, without which it would collapse onto itself. The most successful economy on the face of the planet, worth about $19.4 trillion, America is the hitherto unchallenged economic superpower. Placing after minuscule nations and oil rich gulf states the U.S. ranks 19th in terms of GDP per capita at $59,500, and that is in a nation of around 330 million. None of this would be possible in any economic system without the individual at the center and a reasonable expectation of receiving rewards for labor. Of course this is not solely unique to the United States, but it is an originally Western phenomenon that has been brought to its highest point in America. In Europe, the individual is not such a priority, since the government plays an outsize role in its citizens’ lives. The nature of American history – the frontiersman attitude – lends itself to the continued prominence of individualism in the American identity.
The Western and American vision of equality has its foundation in the Biblical truth that humanity is created in the image of God. While it might not sound remarkable to the modern mind, it is assuredly profound. If every man, woman, and child is created in the image of God, then the only logical conclusion is that there is a universal and equal dignity present. It is this line of thinking that helped lead to the abolition of slavery and mass suffrage, which was first realized in the Western world. With religion being such an important factor in the nation’s founding, it is no surprise that the message of equality has become so integral to America’s national character.
American exceptionalism is exhibited most profoundly in the generosity of the American people – a generosity that remains unequaled. Charity, a core tenet of Christianity and most Abrahamic faiths, is as much a part of America’s ethos as the ideals of individualism and equality. In 2015, the United States gave roughly $31 billion in foreign developmental and humanitarian aid, more than any other nation. While that is indicative of the support of government generosity, the individual charity of Americans is far more extraordinary. U.S. charitable giving, by private charities and individuals, topped $400 billion in 2017, more than any other nation, and an increase of 5.2% from 2016. That individual generosity is truly unique to America, and there is indeed something deeply admirable when people give to a greater cause, not by government spending, but through their own free will.
Arguably the most remarkable aspect of America is the strength and level of veneration of the Constitution. The most sacred right protected by the Constitution is the freedom of speech. No other nation has the breadth of protected speech as the United States, and the courts have consistently upheld the wide definition of freedom of speech. In the seminole case of Schenck v. United States of 1917, the Supreme Court established limits to free speech, which it defined as anything that poses a “clear and present danger” to cause illegal harm. This case set the standard for what types of speech government can and cannot regulate, and established a wide interpretation of free speech. The case of Brandenburg v. Ohio, which extended the realm of free speech to include support of violence assuming that it does not incite violence or a violation of law, further strengthened free speech protections. Owing to the specificity of the case, the ability to prosecute speech was curtailed even further. The only manner in which the boundaries of speech can be reinforced is if they are made clear and precise, and Brandenburg v. Ohio helps to secure that. Finally, the case of R.A.V v. St. Paul in 1992 secured protection of a kind of speech that is most under assault today: ‘hate speech.’ While what many consider to be ‘hate speech’ is indeed disgusting and abhorrent, it is nonetheless worthy of protection. The obscurity of ‘hate speech’ is a problem unto itself, for there is no way to adequately define what it is, and thus making it a powerful tool to silence opponents. Compared to Europe, the region morally and philosophically closest to the U.S., America is leagues ahead. In October 2018, the European Court of Human Rights upheld a verdict from Austria that convicted a woman for insulting Islam. Ruling that speech denigrating another faith is able to be prosecuted, the floodgates of suppression opened. This is troubling enough, but unfortunately it is one case in a litany of free speech violations. Cases like this is what makes America exceptional: the government is forced to be the least invasive of people’s lives, regardless of how unsavory the action.
Held equally as dear as the freedom of speech is the right to bear arms. A free people are only able to ensure their freedom with the ultimate check on government power and tyranny. Citizens without coercive power are subjects; with coercive power are an independent people. One of only three existing constitutions securing the right to bear arms, the U.S. Constitution is already unusual, but it is also the only constitution to do so without any specified restrictions. The unique protections of weapon ownership in the U.S. again point towards the exceptional makeup of the nation – a nation in which people are guaranteed a base freedom unsurpassed worldwide as well as the ability to defend it. Key court cases such as District of Columbia v. Heller, which struck down a ban on handguns and excessive restrictions, reinforce the already strong constitutional apparatus. American exceptionalism is truly embodied in the commitment to constitutional rights, the core of all free societies.
Any identity is framed not only by its enduring values, but also by the progressive advancement of history. United States history is the best evidence for the exceptional nature of the American people, providing a legitimacy all on its own. From the abolition of slavery to the advancement of suffrage rights, American history is steeped in success. It is also not just a self-serving history, but a history abounded with positive outreach. U.S. humanitarian interventions provide a particularly salient example of the outward looking posture of the nation. Somalia in 1992 was of no particular importance to America, and there was certainly no reason to send soldiers to die. Despite this, the U.S. sent troops to the country in Operation Restore Hope to mitigate the damage of the civil war that befell Somalia upon the collapse of its central government. While other nations eventually joined, the operation was spearheaded by the U.S. A willingness to sacrifice for a disparate people in a far-flung land for the purpose of preventing violence is nothing short of magnanimous. Similarly, the United States intervened in the Balkans in 1995 to halt the mass genocide during the Yugoslav wars. With the war continuing to rage in the area and the failure of the United Nations to stop the violence, the U.S. led a very risky, and what would prove to be a successful yet costly, intervention. Again, the American resolve and ability to defend the vulnerable is peerless.
Of course, the U.S. also has an enduring reputation as the defender of the free world, and it is a reputation well-deserved. As the only nation capable of withstanding the demands of protecting freedom, the U.S. has been fully committed to the advancement of democracy. The most salient example is of course the Second World War, but a more recent example better exemplifies American exceptionalism. The Korean War of 1950-1953 was the first post-WWII intervention of the United States with the goal of defending sovereignty. Following the North Korean invasion and subsequent route of the South Korean Army to the Pusan Perimeter, the U.S. and its UN allies sent hundreds of thousands of troops to ensure the freedom of the South Korean people from communism. With 2.5 million total dead, including nearly 40,000 dead American troops by the end of the conflict, the United States paid a heavy price to protect the independence of a nation on the other side of the globe. The Vietnam and First Gulf War, which were relatively similar to the Korean War in their goals of protecting sovereignty, prove that the United States has maintained its commitment to freedom despite the passage of time and horrendous loss of life. Being prepared to give the ultimate sacrifice is the epitome of nobility and selflessness.
While not posing much of a threat to American lives, U.S. relief to those suffering from disasters is indicative of the exceptional nature of America. Any major relief effort can cost vast sums of money and require massive logistical support. Following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti that resulted in upwards of 300,000 deaths, the U.S. led the international relief effort. Deploying well over 20,000 troops, the U.S. military led the way in bringing supplies, shelter, and care to the people of Haiti. The strength and size of the U.S. response and the public support for it once again bring to the forefront American generosity for the needy.
Being a nation that is not defined by race, faith, or any other arbitrary divide, the common belief in American exceptionalism is the thread that binds the nation together. In the 21st century, however, there are increasing numbers of Americans whose belief in American excellency is failing. About 92% of Republicans in 2017 were recorded as being very/extremely proud to be American, compared to only 67% of Democrats according to Gallup. Many Americans feel, especially after the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, vulnerable and afraid. Minorities with a history of discrimination see their advancements in jeopardy. In addition, there is a common view that America does not have a historically evident strong moral foundation, but rather a history of oppression. Whether it be slavery, Jim Crow, or the Chinese Exclusion Act, oppression is seen as being the salient issue in the United States. While writing off these fears would be wholly counterproductive, it is essential to intelligently break down and refute them. Donald Trump is quite far from being a bigot. He certainly lacks a filter, but there is little that he says that can be deemed overtly racist. Much in American society has been excessively racialized and put in the context of individual identity, which pushes people to the extremes. The term “racist” has been vastly overused, which is harmful both to those who are falsely accused of it and to those who legitimately suffer from it, as it wrongly lessens their plight. As for an American history of oppression, it is important to note that the U.S. was one of the first nations to abolish slavery, fight its largest war over it, and enshrine its prohibition in the Constitution. America could not have eliminated it from the start, despite support from many of the Founding Fathers for doing so, for there would be no America if slavery was crushed in 1789. The South never would have joined the Union and it is very likely that they would have held onto slavery much longer had the Union not formed. In the face of oppression throughout history, American justice and resolve have won out, freeing the repressed and expanding liberty. No nation in circumstances like the United States’ has been able to reform in such radical and successful ways.
Exceptionalism of American identity is the primary aspect that brings every American citizen together. Regardless of individual identity, there is the common view of a uniquely American ingenuity, resilience, and justice that unites the nation’s disparate peoples. If that identity is lost, there is not much left to hold together a nation as vast and diverse as the United States. America thrives off of its rich history and achievements, and the unity behind that history is absolutely essential to a future of success and greatness.
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