Participation by the Exceptional

Transcription

1 John Brademas Center for the Study of Congress Participation by the Exceptional Examining the Influence of Individualism and Exceptionalism on Political Culture in the United States Callum Voge 6 September 2013 Voge, 1

2 In recent years the volume of constituent mail to U.S. Congressional offices has increased drastically. Constituents contact their representatives via post, , and phone on a wide selection of subjects. One broad issue that consistently receives close constituent attention is the use of U.S. funds on military expenditures abroad. Recent Department of Defense spending in Afghanistan on helicopters and facility headquarters serve as examples of the type of governmental action that causes constituent concern. Examining the impact of Exceptionalism and individualism on constituent responses to these types of expenditures reveals the influence of prevailing American values on political culture. Analysis of these political concepts provides reasoning as to why U.S. citizens respond to governmental expenditures on such a large scale. The theory of American Exceptionalism has been a cornerstone of American political thought since its inception. Alexis de Tocqueville was the first to refer to America as exceptional. He noted that the United States was qualitatively different from other countries in the world and therefore unique. Tocqueville claimed that the colonies of the world looked to the United States as a model for successful independence defined by a shared political ideology. These traits set the United States apart from most nations that instead base their nationalism on a common history or ancestry. 1 E Pluribus Unum, the motto of the United States Congress, echoes the concept of American Exceptionalism. This Latin phrase translates to of many, one and highlights the uniqueness of the United States among the countries of the world. The 1 Lipset Voge, 2

3 placement of this phrase in the Rotunda of the Capitol Building adds special emphasis to the role of America s democratic institutions in developing a unique society. Together, the concepts of E Pluribus Unum and American Exceptionalism inspire Americans to believe that they are special among the people of the world and most importantly serve as a model to others. In September of this year President Obama made the following statement in regards to American intervention in Syria: "When, with modest effort and risk, we can stop children from being gassed to death, and thereby make our own children safer over the long run, I believe we should act. That's what makes America different. That's what makes us exceptional." 2 This quote highlights the important role that American Exceptionalism still plays in American political rationality and how it continues to place America as the one nation unique enough to lead and save others. While American Exceptionalism still defines the ideological thinking of the United States, the interpretation of the term has shifted slightly in modern times. Today, instead of perceiving themselves as a model for anti-colonial independence movements, Americans gauge their uniqueness on their ability to inspire others with their political culture. One element that has grown to define American culture, both positively and negatively, is hyper-individualism. Sociologist Robin M. Williams Jr. addresses the role of American individualism in political participation in his book American Society. He states that American society s emphasis on the individual personality rather than group identity and responsibility is an element unique to 2 Zurcher Voge, 3

4 American culture. He argues that this culture portrays the individual [as] an integral agent, relatively autonomous and morally responsible. This notion of each individual possessing individual moral responsibility further complicates the image of American culture. When connected with the idea of American Exceptionalism we can conclude that America, as a society based upon the collective thoughts and actions of individuals, serves as a unique example of unity and cooperation. Williams furthers this portrayal of American culture by explaining that society expects the individual to be self-reliant materially and, in the Emersonian sense, morally. 3 This means that Americans see the U.S. government as a direct extension of themselves. Americans view happenings in the world as a result of individual interests and actions and therefore feel a personal responsibility for the actions of the U.S. government. For this reason U.S. citizens must do their part to ensure that their government maintains a model of morality for the rest of the world. Foreign policy, by nature of being carried out abroad, is the most visible aspect of American action and must be strictly monitored by individual Americans so as to ensure that it meets moral standards. This individual involvement is believed to add to the image of America as a model for democracy and morality. In a survey conducted by the World Values Survey (WVS) in 2000, Americans were found to give a higher number, on a scale from one to ten, to the question, how much freedom of choice and control you feel you have over the way your life turns out than citizens from ten other industrial, Western democracies. In this survey, 44% of Americans ranked their response to this question with a score of 3 Fischer Voge, 4

5 either a 9 or This research supports the statement that Americans feel that they can influence governmental policy more so than the citizens of other countries. Money that the Department of Defense spends in Afghanistan consistently draws close constituent attention. Many people expected the American presence in Afghanistan to improve the country and demonstrate the virtues of the American model. Now that the U.S. presence in Afghanistan is already in its twelfth year, constituents are especially critical of how the taxpayer s money is spent and refuse to tolerate what they see as any mismanagement of funds. The DOD spent $113,963 million in Afghanistan in FY2011 and according to a CSIS estimate; this figure is expected to total $85,627 million for FY2013, even during withdrawal. 5 Constituents want to know how this huge sum of money is spent and want to understand the rational for investment in all related projects. The US Department of State s decision to purchase helicopters from Rosoboronexport has proven very controversial due to the company s close relationship with the Russian government. Rosoboronexport, the Russian state intermediary agency for defense related sales, has been accused of arming the Assad regime in Syria and indirectly allowing the continuation of human rights abuses occurring within the country. For this reason, the DOD decision to purchase thirty Mi-17 helicopters in 2011 at approximately $1 billion disagrees with the moral compass of many Americans. Experts claim that the use of Mi-17s by the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) would require less training and 4 Fischer 5 Cordesman Voge, 5

6 investment than other helicopter models. Constituent concern over this issue strongly relates to the moral responsibility felt by many Americans. Though the decision to buy helicopters from Rosoboronexport might be rational from the view of logistics; American constituents believe that as a collection of people, the US government cannot engage in such immoral behavior. This reconnects to the notion that America, as an exceptional nation, must be held to a higher standard because it serves as a model to others. American constituents contact their representatives in Washington in order to play their role in upholding the nation s moral compass. Recent events in relation to the construction of a command-and-control center at the Leatherneck base in Afghanistan also drew criticism from US civilians. Here the question is less about issues of morality, though of course these issues figure into the equation as well, but instead more about governmental inefficiency and a fundamental flaw in the budgetary system. In this case, a 64,000 square foot facility has been constructed at the Camp Leatherneck base in the Southwestern Afghanistan province of Helmand. This project, completed in 2013 at a total cost of $34 million, is controversial because it will never be utilized. The facility was proposed in 2009 in conjunction with a movement of troops to the Southwest of Afghanistan but construction was not halted when troops began to be transferred out of the region. President Obama pledged, our war in Afghanistan will be over by the end of This timeline indicates that the facility at Camp Leatherneck will never be significantly used by any troops. Many Americans question why the project was not halted at an earlier date and have made called for a formal investigation. These attitudes support the idea of an individualistic American ideology that Voge, 6

7 requires individual citizens to do their part to ensure that the budget is used correctly and efficiently. Items such as budget reform are initiated thanks to pressure from below via constituents voicing their concerns to their representatives. This scenario supports Williams view that Americans perceive the government as a collective entity that they can influence themselves. The constituent response to events such as the Rosoboronexport helicopter deal and the construction of the command-and-control facility at Camp Leatherneck highlight the issues that concern Americans and provides insight into the perceived role that constituents hold. Dealings with a morally questionable foreign company and the misuse of huge amounts of money on a base that will never be used are realities that are unacceptable to many Americans. The foreign location of these expenditures and their increased visibility to the rest of the world adds urgency to the constituent s purpose. The U.S. must maintain its role as a model to others and can only do so by meeting certain standards. The modern interpretation of American Exceptionalism as a uniqueness based on individuality and a shared sense of morality guides the constituent response to these events. America s individualistic political culture leads many constituents to understand that it is their duty to do everything in their power to add their voices to the collective decisionmaking that takes place in Washington. This trait is unique among Western, industrialized nations in that Americans generally believe that they have a larger influence on the actions of the government. As America continues to play an active military role abroad we can expect constituents to closely monitor the situation and guide the government where they see fit. Voge, 7

8 Works Cited "Congressional Management Foundation Capitol Hill Experiencing Huge Increase in Constituent Mail." Congressional Management Foundation Capitol Hill Experiencing Huge Increase in Constituent Mail. N.p., 03 Oct Web. 07 Sept Cordesman, Anthony H. "The U.S. Cost of the Afghan War: FY2002-FY2013." Center for Strategic and International Studies (2012): n. pag. Web. 13 Sept < >. Fischer, Claude S. "Paradoxes of American Individualism." Sociological Forum 23, no. 2 (June 2, 2008): Accessed September 6, doi: /j x. Lipset, Seymour Martin. American Exceptionalism: A Double-edged Sword. New York: W.W. Norton, Zurcher, Anthony. "The Unlikely Story behind the Phrase 'American Exceptionalism'"BBC News. BBC, 13 Sept Web. 13 Sept Voge, 8