Date of Presentation
4-18-2015
Name of Conference
Midwest Political Science Association
Date of Conference
4-2015
Location of Conference
Chigago, Illinois
Document Type
Conference Presentation
Department
Political Science and Public Administration
Abstract
This paper critiques the contemporary literature on American exceptionalism. It examines the multiple religious, intellectual and racist traditions that have and continue to make up U.S. political culture. It demonstrates that the doctrine of American exceptionalism is full of contradictions and fallacies. Whereas some traditions supported democracy and equality, other cultural traditions operated to sustain and promote racial repression. Both in the past and today, U.S. political culture contains contradictory currents, one progressive and the other reactionary.
Recommended Citation
Carter A. Wilson, "The Myth of American Exceptionalism," paper presented at the Midwest Political Science Association, April 2015