American Exceptionalism in a New Era: Rebuilding the Foundation of Freedom and Prosperity (Hoover Institution Press Publication)

Description

In American Exceptionalism in a New Era, editor Thomas W. Gilligan, director of the Hoover Institution, has compiled thirteen essays by Hoover fellows that discuss the unique factors that have historically set America apart from other nations and how these factors shape public policy. The authors show how America and its people have prospered and emerged as global leaders by prizing individuality and economic freedom and explore key factors in America’s success, including immigration, education, divided government, light regulation, low taxes, and social mobility. America isn’t perfect, they argue, but it is exceptional. Taken together, the essays form a broad exploration of American attitudes on everything from tax rates and property rights to the role of government and rule of law. They examine the beliefs of statesmen including Alexis de Tocqueville, Abraham Lincoln, Herbert Hoover, and Ronald Reagan--each of whom considered America fundamentally different from other nations. Finally they outline the ways American exceptionalism may be in decline, with consequences both at home and abroad. At a time when “the idea of the American dream is not in high repute in our public discourse,” the authors collectively argue that the United States must continue to believe in itself as exceptional and indispensable or else face a world where America no longer sets the standard. Contributors: Annelise Anderson, John Cochrane, William Damon, Niall Ferguson, Stephen Haber, Victor Davis Hanson, Edward P. Lazear, Gary Libecap, Michael McConnell, George H. Nash, Lee Ohanian, Paul E. Peterson, Kori Schake Cover Halftitle Title Copyright Contents Foreword Part One--Foundations of American Exceptionalism 1--Is America Still the “Hope of Earth”? 2--Legal Origins of American Exceptionalism 3--American Exceptionalism 4--Intellectual Property as a Pillar of American Exceptionalism Part Two--American Exceptionalism and the Economy 5--The Exceptional Economy 6--Law and the Regulatory State 7--Whither American Exceptionalism? 8--What Makes America Great? Entrepreneurship Part Three--American Exceptionalism on the World Stage 9--American Dominance of the International Order 10--The Foundations of America's Exceptional Role in the World Part Four--The Spirit of American Exceptionalism 11--Herbert Hoover and American Exceptionalism 12--Ronald Reagan and American Exceptionalism 13--The American Dream Is Alive in the Minds of Young Americans About the Contributors Index