American Exceptionalism and the Pursuit of Liberty
ABSTRACT
From its very inception America was viewed by its settlers, founders, and citizens (along with astute outside observers) as an exceptional nation. Part of what made it appear exceptional was its remarkable commitment to liberty, understood as a commitment to severely limiting the power of the government in favor of individual liberty. This conference explored the evolving conception of American exceptionalism through major historical events and current thinking, and debated its status as something that is simultaneously desired and criticized.
READING LIST
From Liberty Fund
The Federalist
by
By Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison
Edited by George W. Carey and James McClellan
The Federalist, by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, constitutes a text central to the American political tradition. Written and published in newspapers in 1787 and 1788 to explain and promote ratification of the proposed Constitution for the United States, which were then bound by the Articles of Confederation,…
Additional Readings
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