HUAS97022 - American Exceptionalism and World Order

Course Description

“American Exceptionalism” is the idea that the American people and their political institutions are uniquely virtuous, thus inspiring a divine mission to carry those ideas into the world for reforming other governments and peoples in accordance with American democratic values. The focus of this course is on the impact of these ideas, and the self-confident rhetoric that propelled them, on U.S. relations abroad. We will examine the historical roots of exceptionalism from the early Republic to present times. The legacy is mixed: while exceptionalism has frequently led to imperial hubris and overreach, it has also inspired Americans to live up to the expectations they seek to impose on others.

HUAS97022