- Respect for others: Acceptance and appreciation of people of different racial, ethnic, and religious groups (tolerance)
- Symbolic patriotism: An emotional connection to country; feeling good when seeing the American flag, hearing the national anthem, or reading/hearing other foundational texts in the American canon (literature)
- Freedom: Having the right to participate in politics and elections; expression of unpopular ideas without fearing for one’s safety; belief in encouraging freedom throughout the world
- Security: Keeping the nation (and world) safe and secure from threats (internal and external)
- Self-reliance and individualism: Reliance on oneself; independence; emphasis on individual strengths and accomplishments
- Equal opportunity: Equal access to jobs, education, voting, etc., regardless of age, gender, race, or other factors; a level playing field
- Getting ahead: Individual achievement, status, and success—the America Dream, economic mobility
- Pursuit of happiness: Enjoyment, leisure, pleasure
- Justice and fairness: All the world’s people should live in harmony; justice and fairness for all, even people we don’t know
- Critical patriotism: Tough love of country, criticism of America stems from love of country and desire for improvement
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The American's Creed
by William Tyler Page
I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.
-–Written 1917, accepted by the United States House of Representatives on April 3, 1918.
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Additional Ideas/Themes/Subjects (some ideas overlap)
- Respect for and celebration of our soldiers
- E pluribus unum (from many, one); multiculturalism; “melting-pot”
- Manifest Destiny (the 19th-century doctrine that the expansion of the US throughout Americas was both justified and inevitable
- Domestic (national issues) of pressing importance
- Foreign affairs
- Isolationism (keep to ourselves) vs. foreign entanglements (interventions in other countries or participation in disputes/wars among other nations)
- Government intervention to assist Americans vs. personal freedoms (limitations for government intervention)
- Federal rights vs. states’ rights
- Employment
- Government spending vs. deficit reduction
- Social programs (paid for by government) vs. individual or corporate reliance on funding for programs
- Taxes
- Theme of reconciliation
- Theme of unity
- Recognition of heroism among American citizens
- Importance of presenting image as strong Commander-In-Chief
- Respect and unwavering support for allies
- Importance of family and traditions
- Religious imagery and allusions (biblical quotes)
- Historical allusions (reference to famous texts, events, people)
- Civility (formal politeness and courtesy in behavior or speech)
- Kindness and humility
- Strong military, but restraint in using our weaponry or going to war
- Strength not in our wealth, power, or military prowess; “true” strength is in our values and doing what is “right” and just and fair
- Generosity
- Helping those in need both at home and abroad
- Human rights and dignity
- Optimism
- Endurance and perseverance
- Idea that we are not perfect but always striving to be better
- Five founding ideals of America—Democracy, Rights, Liberty, Equality, and Opportunity
- Optimism
- Foresight—the ability to predict what is needed or in the best interest of the nation and/or the world
- Good Citizenship
- Faith/Spirituality—respect for all religious perspectives, including the right not to believe in God
- Idealistic realism—we strive for the best but realize that we also need to accept practical realities
- Problem solving; practical; "We can fix it or create it."
- Pragmatism—dealing with situations sensibly and realistically
- Capitalism
- Education
- Courage
- The Law
- “City on a hill” (America will be an example for the world.)
- The “sphere of morals is the sphere of action” (Jane Addams). It is our moral responsibility to seek out diversity; morality must be seen as a social rather that an individual endeavor.
- Separation of powers
- Separation of church and state (secularism)
- American exceptionalism is an ideology holding the United States as unique among nations, with respect to its ideas of democracy and personal freedom. Though the concept has no formal definition, there are some themes common to various conceptions of the idea. One is the history of the United States is different from other nations. In this view, American exceptionalism stems from the American Revolution, becoming what political scientist Seymour Martin Lipset called "the first new nation" and developing the American ideology of "Americanism", based on liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, republicanism, democracy, and laissez-faire economics. This ideology itself is often referred to as "American exceptionalism."[6] Another theme is the idea the U.S. has a unique mission to transform the world. Abraham Lincoln stated in the Gettysburg address (1863), Americans have a duty to ensure "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Another theme is the sense the United States' history and mission give it a superiority over other nations (Wikipedia)