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Summary American studies
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American studies summary
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American StudiesWeek 1 lecture
- US political system leads itself to tribalism
- Only 2 parties’ matter and the winner takes it all
- Political divides have deepened over past 30 years
- Red vs blue and rural vs urban
- Divisions are exaggerated by media
- Trump harnessed discontent because globalisation and multiculturalism
- These frustrations are not exclusive to America:
1. Rise of populism and anti-immigration movements
2. Brexit and anti-EU movements
What now?
- This discontent powered trumps campaign
- His tribe (white, working class voters) remains strong but he lost the elections just
barely
- He remains popular and is planning for a comeback
- What will happen with the next elections?
The American dream
- People moved to America to start over
- The results of their ambitions is called The American Dream
- Often a misunderstood promise, many think it’s get rich and be happy
- There are no guarantees or equal opportunities
- Inequalities give different perspectives on the dream that fuel today’s polarisation
Meritocracy= society ruled by merit, achievement = prestatiemaatschappij
Individualism
- The American dream is the individual dream
- Us culture values independence and personal freedom with distrust for authority
- But with freedom comes responsibility
Exceptionalism
- Founders wanted a city on a hill
- America strives to be exceptional
- This manifests itself as patriotism and pride but also ambition and international
engagement
, Core themes
These themes are part of the culture
- Politics
- Foreign policy
- Economics
- Sports
- The arts, underdogs, rebellion, vigilantism
American culture
- Us was founded by people who left Europe
- For religious freedom and economic opportunity
- The American dream attracts migrants and create diversity of ethnic cultures
- Though WASP culture dominates
- As a result, different types of culture
Political culture
- E pluribus unum In the poem text, color est E Pluribus Unum describes the blending
of colors into one
- Stressing the need for cultural unity
- Through political and legal culture
- Civil religion and law
- Politics can bring people together but as we’ve seen, it can drive them apart too
Economic culture
- Free market capitalism
- Competition and success
- It can create tension
- Survival of the fittest
- Feeding political views
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