What is Americanism? The contributors to this volume recognize
Americanism in all its complexity--as an ideology, an articulation
of the nation's rightful place in the world, a set of traditions, a
political language, and a cultural style imbued with political
meaning. In response to the pervasive vision of Americanism as a
battle cry or a smug assumption, this collection of essays stirs up
new questions and debates that challenge us to rethink the model
currently being exported, too often by force, to the rest of the
world.
Crafted by a cast of both rising and renowned intellectuals from
three continents, the twelve essays in this volume are divided into
two sections. The first group of essays addresses the understanding
of Americanism within the United States over the past two
centuries, from the early republic to the war in Iraq. The second
section provides perspectives from around the world in an effort to
make sense of how the national creed and its critics have shaped
diplomacy, war, and global culture in the twentieth and
twenty-first centuries. Approaching a controversial ideology as
both scholars and citizens, many of the essayists call for a
revival of the ideals of Americanism in a new progressive politics
that can bring together an increasingly polarized and fragmented
citizenry.
Contributors:
Mia Bay, Rutgers University
Jun Furuya, Hokkaido University, Japan
Gary Gerstle, University of Maryland
Jonathan M. Hansen, Harvard University
Michael Kazin, Georgetown University
Rob Kroes, University of Amsterdam
Melani McAlister, The George Washington University
Joseph A. McCartin, Georgetown University
Alan McPherson, Howard University
Louis Menand, Harvard University
Mae M. Ngai, University of Chicago
Robert Shalhope, University of Oklahoma
Stephen J. Whitfield, Brandeis University
Alan Wolfe, Boston College