The American way of life or the American way is the U.S.
nationalist ethos that adheres to the principle of
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. At the center of the American way is the belief in an
American Dream that is claimed to be achievable by any American through hard work. This concept is intertwined with the concept of
American exceptionalism, the belief in the unique culture of the nation.
Definition
American writer and intellectual
William Herberg offers the following definition of the American way of life:
One commentator notes, "The first half of Herberg's statement still holds true nearly half a century after he first formulated it", even though "Herberg's latter claims have been severely if not completely undermined... materialism no longer needs to be justified in high-sounding terms".
In the
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...
's 1999 Annual Report, National Archivist John W. Carlin writes, "We are different because our government and our way of life are not based on the divine right of kings, the hereditary privileges of elites, or the enforcement of deference to dictators. They are based on pieces of paper, the Charters of Freedom - the Declaration that asserted our independence, the Constitution that created our government, and the Bill of Rights that established our liberties."
See also
Sources
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William Herberg
References
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Culture of the United States
English phrases
Socio-economic mobility
American exceptionalism