What does it mean to be American – and is it possible for Americans to unite in a common cause unrelated to war or terrorism?

Barack Obama's unwavering vision of American Exceptionalism is not new; it’s been a feature of his rhetoric since he entered politics, but it’s significant that he doesn’t overtly define what it is NOT. This open-ended approach undoubtedly helped win him votes, but the term American Exceptionalism also has a long and convoluted history: it’s been used by American leaders and thinkers as shorthand for radically divergent ideas, including Christian manifest destiny, rugged individualism, freedom, anti-globalist isolationism, egalitarianism, and undisputed military might.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55364115 (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55364115)

YouTube podcast episode: https://youtu.be/S7VuVYjpoks (https://youtu.be/S7VuVYjpoks)

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Audio production by Graham Stephenson

Episode music: Caprese by https://www.sessions.blue/ (Blue Dot Sessions)