American Exceptionalism Subsides: The American-Western European Values Gap

Part of the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project, this survey compares the values of Americans versus those of Western Europeans, highlighting increasing similarities and remaining differences. An overall trend noted in the survey is a declining belief in American exceptionalism over the past decade, especially among younger Americans. The report also indicates that Americans are generally more individualistic, less supportive of a strong safety net, and more socially conservative regarding homosexuality than their European counterparts.