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American Exceptionalism

7-3-25-v2 | Illustration: Eddie Marshall | Joseph Helfenberger | Dreamstime.com | Midjourney

American Dream

69 Percent of Americans Say American Dream Is Not Dead

Americans are increasingly optimistic about their ability to attain the American Dream, according to a new survey.

Autumn Billings | 7.4.2025 8:30 AM

A group of immigrants walk by the American flag | Illustration: Eddie Marshall | Radek Procyk | Dreamstime.com | Midjourney

Immigration

Independence Day Reminds Us You Can Be American by Choice

Despite our problems, the U.S. offers the sort of freedom, liberty, and opportunity that is anathema to many places around the world.

Billy Binion | 7.4.2025 6:30 AM

Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce in "The Brutalist" | A24/Universal/Focus Features

Movies

The Brutalist Is Great American Cinema

Architecture and ambition collide in Brady Corbet's post-war epic.

Peter Suderman | 1.10.2025 10:31 AM

Mike Rowe | Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery

History

Mike Rowe on Patriotism, Paul Harvey, and American Progress

"We're never going to be finished. Our country is a work in progress," says the producer of the new Something to Stand For documentary.

Nick Gillespie | 9.26.2024 6:30 AM

Statue of Liberty 3 | NA

Immigration

Forty-Five Years in America

Today is the 45th anniversary of the Somin family's arrival in America.

Ilya Somin |The Volokh Conspiracy | 6.6.2024 10:20 AM

American Values

Good and Evil in the American Founding

How Americans ought to think about our founding principles.

Stephen E. Sachs |The Volokh Conspiracy | 5.28.2024 11:50 AM

An austere black-and-white photo of a bald eagle, head cast slightly downward. | Ian Dyball | Dreamstime.com

United States

Experts Wonder, Is America Truly in Decline?

The “cure” to national decline might be part of the disease.

J.D. Tuccille | 5.8.2024 7:00 AM

Federal safety regulators say 43 percent of tested fireworks are illegal. God bless America. |  Lunamarina/Dreamstime.com

Freedom

Federal Safety Regulators Say 43 Percent of Tested Fireworks Are Illegal. God Bless America.

Fireworks consumption is at record levels even as fireworks injuries fall.

Christian Britschgi | 7.3.2023 10:00 AM

Statue of Liberty 3 | NA

Immigration

The Somin Family's D-Day

June 6 is not only the anniversary of D-Day, but also of the Somin family's arrival in America, back in 1979. This post reprints my reflections on that milestone, which I hope remain relevant today.

Ilya Somin |The Volokh Conspiracy | 6.6.2022 1:33 PM

July 4th Independence Day | Aleksandar Ilic/agefotostock/Newscom

4th of July

Despite Its Government's Antics, America Has Made Moral Progress in a Difficult Time

That's not the case in countries with authoritarian rulers who want to believe that America is just like them.

Shikha Dalmia | 7.4.2020 8:00 AM

AmericanKidsFlagDreamstime | Pavel Ilyukhin/Dreamstime

Nationalism

The New Right-Wing Program of Cultural Nationalism Is Un-American and Illiberal

It will empower the state and will divide rather than unite Americans.

Shikha Dalmia | 3.3.2020 7:00 AM

minisgivemeliberty | JJBers/Creative Commons

Freedom

Give Me Liberty

Stephanie Slade | 1.3.2020 6:00 AM

Our American Story | Potomac Books/Univ. of Nebraska Press

Volokh Conspiracy

A Round-Up of Posts in the Volokh Conspiracy Symposium on "Our American Story: The Search for a New National Narrative"

A listing with links to all the posts in the series.

Ilya Somin |The Volokh Conspiracy | 6.7.2019 10:45 AM

Our American Story | Potomac Books/Univ. of Nebraska Press

Volokh Conspiracy

An American Community

The Eighth post in the Volokh Conspiracy symposium on "Our American Story: The Search for a Shared National Narrative" (ed. by Joshua Claybourn).

Nikolas K. Gvosdev |The Volokh Conspiracy | 6.6.2019 1:30 PM

Statue of Liberty 3 | NA

Volokh Conspiracy

Forty Years in America

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Somin family's arrival in America.

Ilya Somin |The Volokh Conspiracy | 6.6.2019 1:24 PM

Our American Story | Potomac Books/Univ. of Nebraska Press

Volokh Conspiracy

Foot-Voting Nation

The seventh post in the Volokh Conspiracy symposium on "Our American Story: The Search for a Shared National Narrative" (ed. by Joshua Claybourn).

Ilya Somin |The Volokh Conspiracy | 6.6.2019 10:20 AM

Our American Story | Potomac Books/Univ. of Nebraska Press

Volokh Conspiracy

American as a Social Movement

The fifth post in the Volokh Conspiracy symposium on "Our American Story: The Search for a Shared National Narrative" (ed. by Joshua Claybourn).

Eleanor Clift |The Volokh Conspiracy | 6.5.2019 10:40 AM

Our American Story | Potomac Books/Univ. of Nebraska Press

Volokh Conspiracy

Less Jefferson, More Franklin

The third post in the Volokh Conspiracy symposium on "Our American Story: The Search for a Shared National Narrative" (ed. by Joshua Claybourn).

Gerard N. Magliocca |The Volokh Conspiracy | 6.4.2019 10:30 AM

Our American Story | Potomac Books/Univ. of Nebraska Press

Volokh Conspiracy

In Search of a Shared National Narrative

The second post in the Volokh Conspiracy symposium on "Our American Story: The Search for a Shared National Narrative" (ed. by Joshua Claybourn).

Joshua Claybourn |The Volokh Conspiracy | 6.3.2019 3:32 PM

Large image on homepages | Jim Loscalzo/ZUMA Press/Newscom

Nationalism

No Freedom From the Church of America

The religion this church administers is Americanism, a species of nationalism.

Sheldon Richman | 2.4.2018 8:00 AM

Large image on homepages

American Exceptionalism

U.S.A, U.S.A., U.S.A

Trump can't take away America's greatness

Shikha Dalmia | 12.8.2017 7:10 AM

Large image on homepages

American Exceptionalism

America Has Made the World a Better Place

Even Trump can't take that away from it

Shikha Dalmia | 11.29.2017 10:05 AM

Large image on homepages | Zayid Ballesteros/US Army / Polaris/Newscom

Niger

The Truth About Niger

Jihadists would be no threat to Americans who were left to mind their own business.

Sheldon Richman | 10.22.2017 8:00 AM

Large image on homepages

History

What Frederick Douglass Teaches Us about July 4th and American Exceptionalism

Douglass recognized that embracing freedom and liberty is a process that will continue to unfold and expand over time.

Nick Gillespie | 7.4.2017 3:05 PM

Large image on homepages | Chris Kleponis/CNP / Polaris/Newscom

Foreign Policy

Trump Assumes Command of the American Church

It's time we learn that killing and dying for an ideology-even so-called liberal democracy- is as bad as doing so for a religion.

Sheldon Richman | 3.5.2017 8:00 AM

Large image on homepages | DVIDSHUB/Flickr

Constitution

Americans Have Always Been Obsessed With National Security

Since the beginning of the republic, nationalists have warned that because America is exceptional, it faces constant danger.

Sheldon Richman | 2.28.2016 7:00 AM

Large image on homepages | cc

Politics

You Can't Blame Americans for Not Feeling Exceptional

John Kerry called it like it is, and neocons are throwing a tiresome fit.

Gene Healy | 7.22.2014 12:00 PM

Politics

Tonight on The Independents: Steve Forbes on Ending the Fed, Julian Sanchez on the NSA, Plus Hillary vs. Rand, American Exceptionalism, Immigrant Kids, Cops on Camera, and Online Aftershow

Matt Welch | 7.7.2014 7:51 PM

Politics

Roll Over D'Souza and Tell Capt. America the News: America Still Exceptional in All Sorts of Ways

Nick Gillespie | 7.7.2014 9:04 AM

Politics

A Hit Song That Will Make You Equally Ashamed to Be American and Canadian

Nick Gillespie | 7.5.2014 11:07 AM

Large image on homepages | cc

Politics

The Vanity of American Exceptionalism

Charles Murray's latest mixes American history with self-flattery.

Richard Gamble | 1.30.2014 10:00 AM

Politics

Daddy, Why Don't We Have an American Flag?

J.D. Tuccille | 7.5.2013 9:01 PM

Politics

Four More Years for the Unwitting Authoritarian

Obama is the least skilled president since Jimmy Carter, but he is far more menacing.

Andrew Napolitano | 11.8.2012 7:00 AM

Politics

27 Percent Say Government Investments Made America Great

Emily Ekins | 4.24.2012 1:27 PM

Politics

27 Percent Say Government Investments Made America Great

Origins of American Prosperity: The Varied Viewpoints

Emily Ekins | 4.24.2012 1:24 PM

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