Student Bloggers Believe We Do Share a Common Set of American Values

Whether it is the “scrapper mentality” or the “deeply held conviction that democracy is the best form of government” or the values of freedom and opportunity or “shared desire to learn and succeed” or as one reader classified, “a shared set of values, including family, opportunity, and independence”, some common values seem to unite Americans under a set of core beliefs.

Another reader explained how sometimes American values can be juxtaposed to each other. “ As Americans, we are bound by a set of communal values, independence embodied by the self-made man and a belief that this nation is exceptional, underscored by a contradictory axiom: Things will be better tomorrow, but things will never be as good as they used to be.”

Not only can these values be contradictory, they can also change over time. As one student said, “For over two centuries, fidelity to the Constitution, has perpetuated a ‘living’ democracy, able to adapt to the unique exigencies of each generation.”

Others explained that we are not in fact united by an American set of values. One student revealed “the biggest problem [in] the United States is our inability to agree on a shared set of values. In effect, we are troubled by a net irresolution on what our government should do, which means that any firm initiative for change is watered down to a half-hearted compromise.” Perhaps Americans are too divided politically and socially to share a common world view. “Social issues serve as the reason for why American’s don’t share values. We’re too focused on demonizing those who aren’t like us, and we run fast when we don’t feel comfortable....I’m not sure there’s a perfect remedy allowing us to share values. Honestly, I don’t think it can happen. We’re a net irresolution in our beliefs to meet each other half way,” one student said.

Another identified “our value of conspicuous consumption and desire for social status” as key drivers in conflicts with regard to sharing authority and power, and being able to work together to achieve shared goals. Instead, the student believed, “members of the citizenry persistently attack one another and seek to discharge the legitimacy of those who demonstrate different values and beliefs. As a result, we fail to unite on a shared set of values. Our behavior de-legitimizes the political process that permits us to govern ourselves—social democratic participation.”

Perhaps the values of America don’t speak to the majority of the country after all. One student said, “Americans are not unified by a common set of values, but they have historically been led by an outspoken minority with a common set of values. Abolitionists and unionists steered the country tumultuously through the Civil War. New Dealers led the country out of the Great Depression. Our history is full of these countless examples, where worldviews and values not held by a majority of Americans shape the course of our history in the hands of an ambitious few, for better or worse.”

One blogger proposed that “the truth is that new media has been less egalitarian than we may have imagined or hoped. Technology is limiting the variety of information and messages we are exposed to and the result is that our political sphere is becoming highly polarized,” implying values of the elite few dictate our public life.

Another blogger noted the common set of ideals, not values among our generation. "While theory can inform general ideals, experience creates personal values. Our ideals are grounded in the theoretical framework of the Constitution. We aspire to live in a society that promotes liberty, equality and justice for all. We hope that church is separate from our state, that the work place is a meritocracy and that all people can live the American dream. Individuals’ values are different because their experiences dictate what ideals they value more or less.” She stressed that “Individuals’ values are different because their experiences dictate what ideals they value more or less” and that “[t]he extent to which we value an ideal America is contingent on our direct experience.”

This direct experience can influence folks of all walks of life to come together as Americans. For example, in the midst of the tragic attacks of 9/11, our nation witnessed a synergistic union of Americans grieving, remembering, and forging on--together.One blogger felt “the same set of values that united this country so many times before can once again draw us together as we confront some of the most controversial and difficult issues of our time. And while it may take some time and discussion to find what these values are, their existence is evident when one notes the way people from all over the country have gathered to help another part of the country that has suffered.”

Today, “[s]eeking compromise and solidarity behind a common set of values is the great task before the Millennials, who have to lead Americans more tactfully than ever before.” One reader pointed out that this task will be difficult since “Our relationship with these values - independence, exceptionalism, progress, and nostalgia - is not simple. We struggle to better understand them and find unity within them.”