NEW TO THIS EDITION: A new chapter on civil rights and liberties (chapter 5) introduces students to a comparative look at rights and liberties, so that students can have a more holistic understanding of US politics. A new chapter on constitutional arrangements (chapter 6) introduces students to the uniqueness of the US Constitution, so that students can think more critically about the US Constitution in comparative perspective. An expanded chapter on institutions (chapter 7) provides comparative context to help students understand why legislative and executive branches together makes the most sense. The discussion on elections has been divided into two chapters - one on institutions (chapter 10) and one on behavior (chapter 11) - to make the topic easier to digest for students and easier to cover for instructors. New data around the 2016 general election and the 2018 midterm election offers students the most up-to-date information on elections and encourages students to explore how these elections are a reflection (or not) of American exceptionalism. A new textbox on far right political parties helps students to think critically about how different electoral and institutional arrangements impact how far right politics materializes in practice in various countries. New end of chapter material, including study questions, suggested readings and key words offer students multiple opportunities to further their knowledge of the content. KEY FEATURES: The balanced approach uniquely discusses and provides examples of similarities - as well as differences - between the US and other democracies. American exceptionalism is addressed and its most common definition, of the US as superior, is challenged, pointing out that exceptional only means different. Break-out boxes, attractively displayed empirical examples providing easily accessible data, and end-of-chapter study questions and terms help to reinforce concepts and provide learning aids for students.

American Exceptionalism

Chapter three American exceptionalism

At the winter Olympics in South Korea in 2018, you could see people wrapped and decorated with the flags of the different countries competing. Many Americans were among them, wrapped in the stars and stripes of the American flag. When the Olympics ended, most fans put away their flags and patriotic wear until the next Olympics or worldwide sporting event. This is not as much the case for American fans. When you travel around the United States, it is not uncommon to see the American flag flying everywhere—from your local McDonald’s to churches, to car dealerships to people’s own front lawns. In other countries, this is less of the case. In other countries, you are less likely to see ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles