The Claim of U.S. Exceptionalism within a Context of Race, Gender and Class Inequality

American exceptionalism has gained considerable attention among scholars and political leaders alike. Some scholars pointed out that the presence and extent of U.S. exceptionalism is that procedural political democracy has been spelled out in the U.S. legal system; that is, universal participation; political equality; majority rule; representative democracy; and, governmental responses to public opinion—all under the rule of law. However, there is no U.S. official definition of, or call for any kind of, or control of economic equality; though, in fact much economic inequality has always existed in the U.S.; and moreover, is now increasing at a more rapid rate than in the past. And yet, the U.S. politicians, especially those running for the presidency, find it necessary to consider American exceptionalism as an article of faith that must be accepted and promulgated. This article attempts to shed some light on America’s so-called exceptionalism and the need of an equalized economic society.

Keywords: Civil Rights; Liberalism; Manifest Destiny; human rights; Great Depression; cultural knowledge; political parties; economic inequality; grid locking.