AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM

The concept of “American Exceptionalism” has become a topic of debate in the columns of some of the nation’s leading publications*. It has given me an impulse to my search for and study of what works and does not work in this great nation.

Even though some identify “American Exceptionalism” with a mythical condition that pre-ordains the United States to be “a cut above” all other nations in destiny, legitimacy, capacity and morality, it is clear that the origins of the concept are found in the birth of the nation from the groundswell of ideas – revolutionary at the time - that lead to the Declaration of Independence, to the Revolutionary War, the creation of the republican form of government and ultimately the Constitution of the United States.

While the notion of America being “a cut above” all other nations has many origins, the term “American Exceptionalism” probably stems from the French scholar Alexis de Tocqueville who wrote in his 1831 treatise “Democracy in America”: The position of the Americans is therefore quite exceptional, and it may be believed that no democratic people will ever be placed in a similar one.”

Based on James Madison saying that “America holds the hope of liberty throughout the world”, American Exceptionalism is then interpreted as the proposition that the United States is different from other countries in that it has a specific world mission to spread liberty and democracy.

Whatever the history of the notion of American Exceptionalism, the concept keeps invading our public life and sentiment. Most recently, President Obama, in his second inaugural address declared: “What makes us exceptional – what makes us American – is our allegiance to an idea…..”

The idea he refers to was first articulated in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Meaningfully, President Obama then added: “that while these truths may be self-evident, they have never been self-executing.”

In this he is so right!

America is indeed an exceptional success story starting with the birth of the nation in the struggle for independence, to the gradual conquering of the West, the Louisiana Purchase and the purchase of Alaska from the Russians. It derives great strength from its strategic location with access to and protection from two oceans, from the vast expanse of its territory and its water systems (rivers and lakes), from its abundant natural resources and from its -largely immigrant- population.Blessed with these strengths America has made exceptional contributions to world civilization, in war and peace, in exploration, in science and technology, in creating wealth and in advancing human rights.

Surveying the field today, the question keeps coming up: are the best times behind us? We all see the tell-tale signs of trouble around us: from high unemployment, increasing income inequality, lost or unfinished wars, a skyrocketing national debt, a sub-par infra-structure, an ideologically divided voting public and –resulting from it – a dysfunctional political system to the unraveling of family structures and values, the proliferation of guns and drugs, the (relatively) poor academic performance and the prevalence of obesity.

Would a modern day Alexis de Tocqueville find anything exceptional in America?

• ·         Our defense spending is exceptional.  We are spending more on our military than the next 17 countries (including China and Russia) combined.
• ·         We rank 1^st in death by violence among high income democracies at 6.47 deaths per 100,000 people. Finland ranks 2^nd at 2.24 deaths per 100,000.
• ·         Between 2007 and 2011 only China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia have executed more people than the USA.
• ·         We rank 7^th in per capita CO2 emission.
• ·         We rank 22^nd out of 27 developed countries in graduation rate from public high schools.
• ·         We rank 15^th out of 27 developed countries in tertiary education graduation rates.
• ·         We rank 15^th out of 27 OECD Member nations in terms of reading literacy.
• ·         Our kids rank 18^th in the world in reading, 29^th in science and 35^th in math.
• ·         We rank below 16 other rich countries in health across our entire life span.
• ·         We rank 49^th in life expectancy at birth.
• ·         33 countries have a lower child poverty rate than the USA.
• ·         44 countries have a lower infant mortality than the USA.
• ·         We rank 26^th among OECD Member nations in terms of tax ratio as a percentage of GDP.
• ·         We rank 15^th among OECD Member nations in broadband penetration.
• ·         Income inequality is higher in the USA than in 95 other countries in the world.
• ·         The Heritage Foundation ranks the USA 13^th among developed nations in business freedom.

In other words, we don't rank # 1 in any of these measurements of human well being.

However, this is just a moment in time. In terms of resources, human and physical, we have plenty of capacity to become a leading nation once more in matters that constitute true measure of human progress. The question is if we can muster the political leadership and will to mobilize the population at large and get all of us pulling the cart in the right direction and back to the forefront.

*Clifford D. May in the National Review; Richard Cohen in the Washington Post; Scott Shane in the New York Times.

(Frans Jager is Principal of Castnet Corp. (www.castnetcorp.net) a Business Consultant for the Green Industry and an Executive Coach. He frequently writes about the Green Industry and other matters of general importance. He can be reached at castnetcorp@gmail.com)

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