Transcript Slide 1

American Exceptionalism
BME 210, Week 7
Jon Reyhner, Professor of Education
Northern Arizona University
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The Washington Post explains “America
Exceptionalism” as an ideology based on five
ideas: Liberty, individualism, the belief in
equality of all men, the philosophy that appeals
to the common man rather appealing to a
traditional party or partisan ideologies, and an
attitude of letting things take their own course,
without interfering [laissez faire].
In 2014, the Republican National Committee
condemned the new AP US History framework as “a
radically revisionist view of American history that
emphasizes negative aspects of our nation’s history
while omitting or minimizing positive aspects.”
The framework is about “teaching kids to see
complexity and draw their own conclusions,” says
Fritz Fischer, a history professor at the University of
Colorado and author of “The Memory Hole: The
U.S. History Curriculum Under Siege.”
The problem with people pushing “American
exceptionalism” in the curriculum, Professor Fischer says, is
that they want to teach “that America was always right.…
They believe the US is the best country now and therefore
it has always been the best country.”
Fischer agrees there are many examples of shining
moments for the nation, but worries that some backers of
exceptionalism don’t want students to be exposed to
anything negative. Some have objected to letting students
know about some founders of the country being
slaveholders, while others have said America’s expansion
westward can only be called expansionism, not imperialism.
“It’s much too simplistic for the classroom, where you
want to teach critical thinking,” he says.
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Global Trends: Economic
Percentage of World GDP
2004
2025
2050
India
2%
Other
India
4%
20%
India
China
Japan
Other
5%
China
12%
21%
15%
7%
28%
34%
US
Other
27%
EU
25%
Japan
17%
10%
28%
26%
US
15%
China
4%
US
EU
Japan
EU
China, India, Japan are expected to be 50% of world
GDP within 30 years -- up from 18% in 2006.
Source: Keystone India
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US Population by
Race
US Prison
Population
by Race
Prison Population by Country
Current U.S. Senate
Representation
Red= 2 Republicans
Purple= 1 Each
Blue= Democrat
Green=Independent
Federal Spending 2005
AZ General Fund Spending FY ‘11,
total= $9,524.3 million
Time Magazine
11/14/11
Time Magazine 11/14/11
A Pew survey of U.S. and
Western European
societal values found that
fewer people in the U.S.
Are now convinced of
their nation’s
exceptionalism. The
percentage of Americans
who agreed with the
statement “Our people
are not perfect, but our
culture is superior to
others” has dropped from
60% in 2002.
Time Magazine 12/5/2011