1. The Ideas That Shape America
Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2: THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE AMERICA

2. In this chapter you will:
Learn about the seven key American ideas.
Review the arguments that surround each of them.
Explore the essential question: How do ideas affect politics?
CHAPTER 2: THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE AMERICA

3. A Nation of Ideas
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
Declaration of Independence explains the role of government: secure each individual’s rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
Seven key ideas guide politics
Liberty
Democracy (self-rule)
Individualism
Limited Government
American Dream
Equality
Faith in God
CHAPTER 2: THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE AMERICA

4. Liberty
Liberty—or the freedom to pursue your goals—is the most often-invoked American value.
There are two different views of what liberty means. Negative liberty emphasizes a lack of constraints on individuals, even if those constraints are intended to help others. Positive liberty calls on the community to help everyone satisfy their basic needs.
Freedom has expanded to new groups over time. Some scholars see the rise of freedom as inevitable, reflecting American ideals; others see it as a constant battle that can always go either way.
CHAPTER 2: THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE AMERICA

5. Self-Rule
Self-rule is a powerful and enduring idea guiding American government. Lincoln put it best: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
There are two chief pathways to government by the people: a democracy and a republic. Americans have always sought to balance these two ideals.
CHAPTER 2: THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE AMERICA

6. Limited Government
Americans distrust their government more than people in most wealthy democracies traditionally have—though new pressures are making many other nations more like the US . The Constitution builds that distrust into our governing rules by providing for limited government. The result is a very durable status quo.
In many other countries, politicians can usually deliver the programs they promised on the campaign trail. In the United States, winners confront multiple barriers to fulfilling their pledges. That’s the antigovernment strain in American thinking built into multiple checks and balances.
However, once programs do go into effect, they often prove popular and difficult to change.
CHAPTER 2: THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE AMERICA

7. Individualism
American politics includes both individualism and solidarity.
Diferent leaders, parties, groups, and individuals weigh the two values in different ways. However, compared to other nations, the United States is very much at the individualist end of the spectrum.
CHAPTER 2: THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE AMERICA

8. The American Dream
Benjamin Franklin summarized what later became known as the American dream:
If you are talented and work hard, you can achieve financial success.
James Truslow Adams (a popular historian) was the first to actually call it an American dream:
“a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement”
President Bill Clinton, more than two centuries after Ben Franklin:
“The American dream that we were all raised on is a simple but powerful one.”
“If you work hard and play by the rules, you should be given a chance to go as far as your God-given abilities will take you.”
CHAPTER 2: THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE AMERICA

9. The American Dream
The American dream is the belief that anyone who works hard can get ahead and grow wealthy.
Critics argue that hard work is no longer enough. They offer two criticisms: First, the poor and the middle class are falling farther behind the wealthy because of bias in the political economy; and second, other values are more important than wealth.
Despite the critics, the dream remains a powerful American idea.
CHAPTER 2: THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE AMERICA

10. Equality
Equality means that every citizen enjoys the same privileges, status, and rights before the law.
Equality applies to social status, political rights, and economic conditions.
Today, America generally aims for equal opportunity rather than equal outcome, though heated discussions rage over what society must provide to ensure equal opportunity.
CHAPTER 2: THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE AMERICA

11. Religious Faith Inspiring People into Politics
The opponents of racial equality—arguing for slavery and segregation—also framed their response in religious terms.
The controversies swirling around the politics of peace, abortion, the environment, and gay marriage are all based on religion.
In the 1830s abolitionists condemned slavery as a sin.
The civil rights movement spilled out from Baptist and Methodist churches across the South with religious rhetoric, religious symbols, and religious zeal.
CHAPTER 2: THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE AMERICA

12. Religion
Religion plays an enduring role in American politics and society. This is unusual—almost unique—among wealthy countries.
Americans have an unusually large number of faiths to choose from, although younger people are less likely than their elders to affiliate with an organized religion.
Religious politics raise questions about the role and extent of religion in our national public life. They inspire political participation on a host of issues—from civil rights to abortion. And they foster a missionary sense in American foreign policy.
CHAPTER 2: THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE AMERICA

13. How Do Ideas Affect Politics?
Political scientists point to three different ways in which foundational ideas influence politics.
»» First, ideas shape American culture, which in turn affects our politics.
Second—and the most popular argument among political scientists—ideas operate through political institutions. We have to study those institutions to appreciate how ideas shape politics and policies.
Third, ideas may have their own independent power.
CHAPTER 2: THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE AMERICA

14. Chapter Summary Seven Important Ideas
Freedom means government will protect your life, liberty, and property from the coercion of others
Self-Rule means people govern themselves through clearly defined procedures
Limited government, distrusts government and place limits on the authority it can exercise
Individualism, individuals are responsible for their own well-being
American dream holds that if you are talented and work hard, you will succeed and grow wealthy
Equality allows citizens to enjoy the same privileges, status, and rights before the law
Religion plays an enduring role in American politics and society
CHAPTER 2: THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE AMERICA