American Values – Part II

American Values – Part II

Our Constitution is not, and never has been, a static document.  The fundamental principle of our democratic process is that we govern by the consent of the governed while respecting dissenting opinions.  Each generation that comes along gets to renew its pledge to our Constitution.

Institutionally and culturally we are not a status quo nation.

(1)  In our founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, you will find a variety of values stated: liberty, equality, promoting the general welfare, life and the pursuit of Happiness.  They are neither defined, delineated, nor ranked in order.  They can at times conflict with one another.  Sometimes we lean one way during a conflict; and, sometimes we lean the other way.  We are constantly re-examining our values.  Each generation does this.

Andrew Jackson’s Presidency was the first deviation from the founding fathers – giving a Western/frontiersman interpretation to liberty, rugged individualism mixed with an egalitarian spirit, and the ‘Common Man’ mythology.

(2)  Institutionally we have a federal system of government that not only divides power among the branches of government but also between the federal government and state and local governments.  That division of power may cause competitiveness in our political system; but, it means that in order for something to get accomplished cooperation rules and the game plan is to build viable coalitions.  Those political leaders that can forge a consensus are successful in our political system.  Factions have never ruled.  [Read Federalist Paper #10 – Madison; and E Pluribus Unum, from many, one.] 

As independent individuals, we function through institutions.  Politics is the exercise of power; so, influence, money, organization come into play not only in our political sphere but also in the economic and social realms.  They are not separate, distinct entities.  One is the mirror image of the other.  The ability to organize is what determines the effectiveness of exercising power.

(3)  Culturally we have always been a diverse nation, right from our beginning.  Very quickly in our history we spanned the continent to become a contiguous continental nation.  We have always had a mixture of people in our nation, non-English speakers and not of a European origin.  We are probably the only nation in history that is not defined by an ethnic or religious makeup but instead by a loose governing concept.  As different people come here they eventually figure it out.  This also has fed into the re-examination of our values through time.  When Andrew Jackson became President in 1829, his Western outlook of individualism redefined democracy, a word and concept – albeit direct democracy – which was considered with great caution on the part of our Founding Fathers; and, has now been woven into the fabric of Americanism.

Unlike other cultures in history that upon reaching greatness become status quo, we are a dynamic system that has incorporated change into our system, institutionally and culturally.  You can refer to it as change; or, you can think of it as a self-correcting mechanism built into the political process.  What may be perceived as a wrong from a previous generation can be righted in a future generation.  That is what makes us unique and has contributed to our greatness.

I guess I should add the influence that popular American culture has on foreign cultures in spreading American values in a world connected globally.   As other cultures pick up on popular American culture like music (jazz, rock n’ roll, hip hop, etc.), the movies, and art and architecture they pick up on their interpretation of individual freedom, liberty, equality, gender and sexual equality and freedom, and a youth culture and the impact it has on these “foreign” cultures.  And these “foreign” interpretations get reflected back on America.