The Roots of American Exceptionalism Institutions, Culture and Policies

How is the United States different from other states? Why is it different? The Roots of American Exceptionalism draws on societies' unique histories, distinctive paths of institutional development and contrasting cultures to explain why they adopt different policies for common problems. It compares the United States with Sweden on tax policy, Canada on financing medical care, France on abortion policy, and Japan on immigration. The book shows that American public policies across these four areas fit a pattern of embodying the fundamental beliefs and value priorities of a particular culture: individualism. And while American public policies are rational from this cultural perspective, this culturally-constrained rationality is contrasted with alternative culturally-constrained rationalities, that are more egalitarian and/or hierarchical, prevailing in Sweden, Canada, France and Japan.

Charles Lockhart is Professor of Political Science, Texas Christian University.