Kevin Sullivan (Georgetown) on American Values
March 28, 2012
American society is often represented as sharing a common set of values, expressing itself through a pervasive culture, a revolutionary governmental experiment in liberty, an “exceptional” patriotism, and trust in a distinctive way of life. The United States has certainly always been unique, and while “exceptional” is the wrong word, renowned sociologists from Alexis D’Tocqueville to Alan Bloom have sought to define what about America is so distinct.
But to say that Americans are united by a shared set of values would be inaccurate and misleading. The “unity” of the United States has always been tenuous precisely because of its sheer diversity of lifestyles, faiths, ethnicities, and values. The Revolutionary War provides a perfect example. We as Americans often neglect our own history, forgetting that the foundation of the world’s most influential political experiment was grounded in deep division between “patriots” and “loyalists” and that our Founding Fathers were largely unrepresentative of the nation born out of their thoughts, words, and writings.
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.
Our republican democracy could not survive if the full range of values, many of them in conflict with each other, were truly represented and promoted at the national level. Enter our ongoing political and national stalemate. Thanks to technological revolutions in media and a decades-long nationalization of America’s greatest problems, our governmental system has fallen into gridlock amid loud and influential voices on both sides of major issues. This time, there is no group of leaders with the ability to lead the country in a new direction, and the Millennial generation is faced with one of the greatest challenges in America’s short but eventful history. The true diversity, not unity, of our nation’s values is being presented in ongoing debates on religious liberty, healthcare, and contraception. Seeking 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.
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.
Our republican democracy could not survive if the full range of values, many of them in conflict with each other, were truly represented and promoted at the national level. Enter our ongoing political and national stalemate. Thanks to technological revolutions in media and a decades-long nationalization of America’s greatest problems, our governmental system has fallen into gridlock amid loud and influential voices on both sides of major issues. This time, there is no group of leaders with the ability to lead the country in a new direction, and the Millennial generation is faced with one of the greatest challenges in America’s short but eventful history. The true diversity, not unity, of our nation’s values is being presented in ongoing debates on religious liberty, healthcare, and contraception. Seeking 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.
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