American Exceptionalism In The United States

It is easily conceivable that American exceptionalism has not been embraced by other countries. This is because that U.S. foreign policy and its lack of consistency based on exceptionalism, which claims American supremacy and missionary role, are effortlessly translated into “moral arrogance” (Davis and Lynn-Jones, 1987, p.31). However, the scepticism towards American exceptionalism has also become pervasive among American public, who once deeply believed in it. According to Pew Research Center, only 28% of the American public considers their country as the greatest country in the world, with a sharp decline from 38% in 2011 (Tyson, 2014). The survey shows that the trend is observed among every age groups but particularly obvious among younger
has promoted, to the rest of the world. Therefore, American exceptionalism requires U.S. foreign policy to be altruistic and righteous. Although exceptionalism is not exclusive to the U.S., American exceptionalism stands out due to its nature as national identity. American exceptionalism has inherited among American elite and mass public from the beginning of its history, and therefore has strongly affected U.S. foreign policy. Indeed, the U.S. has been exceptional because American public has believed in American exceptionalism, and expressed their opinion through various means. Because public opinion matters, accordingly, administrations have intentionally promoted American exceptionalism to gain the public support. This utilization of American exceptionalism has led a serious problem of American exceptionalism: double standards in foreign policy. Under the name of American exceptionalism, U.S. military interventions have been overly justified as a noble mission to combat the evil for the entire world. American exceptionalism conceals the true intention aiming to maximise U.S. national interests, as well as allows disrespect towards foreign cultures and traditions as inevitable process to complete the mission. In addition to military-related issues, American exceptionalism has caused unacceptable double standards, most prominently in human rights issues. It allows the U.S. to create its own standards specifically favourable to itself and allies, while claiming to promote international standards of human rights, as if those two standards are always identical. American exceptionalism has been utilized to legitimate U.S. foreign policy. As a result, American exceptionalism has attracted criticism by academics and non-academics both from inside and