Introduction
The values and beliefs in America differ from the other countries despite their common social and political structure. Some scientists consider these differences to be putative as far as these differences have been invented with the Americans themselves but there are a lot of facts supporting the idea of the real existence of these values gaps. The Americans’ desire to be an exceptional nation is as old as the first European settlements in the New World. Are these values gaps invented with the Americans or do they really exist?
It is a well-known fact that the mentality of different nations differs from each other. Nevertheless, American values are strictly opposed to those of other rich democracies. This fact is quite complicated to be explained. The system of values of every nation is created during all their history and it depends on its geographical position, political, economic, and social structures.
Political relationship differences between the leader and the subordinates
There are certain political differences in the relationships between the leader and the subordinate in America and other countries. The roots of this difference are in the American populist tradition where the position of the leaders is much higher than those people who elect them. The Americans accept the wealth distribution and the division into the poor and the rich ones without any resistance. America is a multicultural country and the system of its values combines the values of different cultures. The understanding of cultural pluralism differs in America and other European countries as for example, France. Although America judged France harshly as far as they do not have adequate respect for diversity, France demonstrates more tolerance than America as far as France sets the boundaries between the religion and the state. America has tried to demonstrate its tolerance for several decades factually leaves the problem of discrimination unsolved.
The main differences between the United States and other rich democracies are not purely political. These differences include religion, moral absolutism, civic-mindedness, individualism, and patriotism (Brooks, p. 92). These differences become one of the main reasons for misunderstanding between the United States and other developed countries.
Interconnection between religion and politics
Religion and politics are interconnected in the USA as far as religion is used to keep order in the country. Religion plays a significant role in the life of Americans. They visit the church regularly and take part in religious activities. There is a gap between the demonstrative religiosity in politics of the USA and other rich democracies. As for the gaps in moral absolutes, it is a well-known fact that Americans tend to judge other countries and present the world in black-and-white terms. Americans are like “big children” according to Simone de Beauvoir (Brooks, p. 98). There is the belief in an absolute standard of good and evil, right, and wrong where America represents the good part of these oppositions. All political decisions and activities are connected with this representation of the world. Americans believe in the moral rightness of their country and its high mission in world history.
Civic mindedness is represented in the American representation of their nation not as the state but as the individuals. Americas believe only in their forces and the problem of poverty they usually explain with individual laziness or the lack of will power while the representatives of other rich democracies tend to blame the society, the government, or just a bit of bad luck in all their failures (Brady, p. 14). They believe that they control their life in all aspects and have a free choice. Individualism plays a very important role in the economic development of the USA. For example, American owners have endowed the right to decide how to run their business without any control of the government or state.
Conclusions
It is a normal phenomenon that the representatives of different countries have different values. It should be noted that the rich democracies of the Western World have more common with each other than with the USA. Maybe, it is explained by the historical development or other social conditions. Nevertheless, these gaps are impossible to avoid as far as they have existed from the beginning of human civilization. We are all different and it is necessary to get on the right side of other countries. Collin Powell points out that the Americans have to do a much better job understanding the values and beliefs of other rich democracies instead of criticizing them. Those other societies also have to make efforts to treat the American values and beliefs more accurately (Brooks, p. 111). The fact that America is different is unquestionable and the existence of these values gaps is unmistakable.
The Americans accept the fact that they are different, and they seek to testify it to other rich democracies. Although it leads to misunderstanding and different conflicts on the political level it is inevitable as far as these values gaps really exist. They play a key role in international relationships and they should be taken into account by other countries. Every country should accept these values gaps instead of their judgment. There is no sense to try to change the values of other countries imposing on them your own ones.
Reference
Brady, D. (2009). Rich Democracies, Poor People: How Politics Explain Poverty. USA: Oxford University Press.
Brooks, S. (2009). Understanding American Politics. USA: The University of Toronto Press.