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American Political Culture and Values Article Review

Pages:6 (2005 words)

Sources:1+

Subject:Politics

Topic:Political Culture

Document Type:Article Review

Document:#24495751


First, American ideas about freedom have evolved over time, and this might be the natural model for freedom. To believe that an emerging democracy would immediately look like modern day America ignores the fact that freedom continues to evolve in America. Moreover, freedom is guaranteed by certain institutions, such as an independent judiciary, that generally develop over time.

In Presidential address: American freedom in a global age, Eric Foner gives his inaugural speech as the President of the American Historical Association. In doing so, he gives a brief overview of American history over the last century. There is no clear thesis or argument in his statement. He does discuss the spread of American power over the globe over the last century. Moreover, he discusses the fact that there is not agreement over what fueled America's global dominance, economic might or the spread of American culture throughout the globe. He discussed two different predictions made at the same time discussing the spread of American culture throughout the globe. One of the predictions talked about the merger between Great Britain and the United States as something that would be inevitable in the coming century. While those predictions may not have used the term super-power, they did discuss the fact that the United States would emerge as the world's superpower.

Foner discusses the idea that these predictions have, in many ways, become true. First, he talks about the idea of the United States as the world's indisputed superpower. What has been revealed to be true is that America's status as the world's superpower is not nearly as well established as it was believed to have been at the time Foner wrote the article, which was in 2002. A global depression and the rise of China as an emerging superpower has demonstrated that the source of America's global dominance may not merely be an issue of semantics, but of critical importance if the United States wishes to retain its place as one of the global leaders.

Foner discusses the idea that globalization and emerging human rights practices in many locations reflect movements that began in the United States. However, he discusses movements such as labor and socialist movements, religious revivals, struggles against slavery, and struggles for women's rights, and the United States was not a leader in those movements. In contrast, America very rarely led any social human rights movements, but actually followed movements that had proven successful in other locations. This notion argues against the idea of America as a superpower, but Foner does not substantially investigate that issue.

References

Chong, D., McClosky, H., & Zaller, J. (1983). Patterns of support for democratic and capitalist values in the United States. British Journal of Political Science, 13(4), 401-440.

Foner, E. (2002). Presidential address: American freedom in a global age.

Foner, E. (2003, April 13). Not all freedom is made in America. New York Times.

Smith, R. (1993). Beyond Tocqueville, Myrdal, and Hartz: The multiple traditions in America.

The American Political Science Review, 87(3), 549-566.

Stevens, J.,…


Sample Source(s) Used

References

Chong, D., McClosky, H., & Zaller, J. (1983). Patterns of support for democratic and capitalist values in the United States. British Journal of Political Science, 13(4), 401-440.

Foner, E. (2002). Presidential address: American freedom in a global age.

Foner, E. (2003, April 13). Not all freedom is made in America. New York Times.

Smith, R. (1993). Beyond Tocqueville, Myrdal, and Hartz: The multiple traditions in America.

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