The “American Creed” is what has guided our nation and society throughout time. This has helped us through both good and bad moments within our history. Of the core values within the American Creed – freedom, individualism, capitalism, the Protestant work ethic, equality and fairness and optimism – we have been given the chance to experience them all at one time or another.
Freedom – “the private realm in which the individual is free to act, to think and to believe, and which the government cannot legitimately invade” (CIVITAS 1991), is one of the main forces within the core American values. This is what has defined our citizenship since the day the Constitution was signed into effect. With this we are able to effectively express our existence and who we are, as without the freedom of speech we would be silent within our own society. We would be unable to express our desires, wants and dislikes. With our freedom we are able to be the individuals that we are and voice requests for change we want to see within our world.
Freedom falls hand in hand with the next core value, individualism. Freedom and Individualism go together in a way that without freedom we would be unable to be separate, unique individuals and members of society. With our freedom, our individualism comes through and we are able to share our distinct ideas and thoughts that are unique to us with the rest of the nation. However, another thing that comes with individualism is that all people are expected to provide for themselves. In our nation it is implied that people work to better themselves, which differs from other countries and societies, as many feel that you should instead “take care of your neighbor”, as in the second Canadian core value: “We respect the inherent potential and dignity of all individuals and the equal rights of all members of society” (Government of Canada 2007). To contrast that with the American idea: “Individualism holds that the individual is the primary unit of reality and the ultimate standard of value” (Stata 1992).
The next core value that is important in America is capitalism. Capitalism is “an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market” (Merriam-Webster 2008). Capitalism is what works our economy and guides the way it goes, both up and down. There are some social problems that stem from capitalism which have only become worse with time, such as over consumption in the way that people purchase what they believe that they need, when really it is not necessary. Also, within capitalism, profit is a large motivator, which induces greed among many American citizens.
Along with individualism we have the Protestant work ethic – which tells us to work hard for what we want or “A view of life that promotes hard work and self-discipline as a means to material prosperity” (Hirsch, Kett and Trefil, 2002). This goes with individualism in that we need to be responsible for ourselves. This becomes a problem due to the fact that there are times when people simply need assistance and they can’t take care of themselves as they would like to. In times like this they need help from others, namely the government. With the idea of the Protestant work ethic, it makes many feel inferior to others and like less of a citizen to need help and assistance.
In the case of equality and fairness, it says that all American’s need to be treated equally. This means that regardless of race, gender, sexuality or disability, we all need to have the same perks and benefits that are offered to American citizens. Although this is an ideal situation, it is not a reality. The reality is that women are paid less and minorities are treated worse than white men. Homosexualism is a big problem in today’s society. Discrimination is still rampant throughout America. From 1993 to 2004, overall diversity at the management level in the financial services industry changed very little” (Government Accountability Office 2006).
The last core value that is outlined within our American creed is optimism. Optimism is “an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome” and also “a doctrine that this world is the best possible world” (Merriam-Webster 2008). This means that we are to look at the positives in any given situation and to be grateful that we live in a free country. This becomes a problem when people can’t believe that their country is doing the best for them, such as those who need assistance and can’t get it or those who are unemployed and can’t find work. Although people can always hope for the best, it is often very hard to do when you’re struggling.
When comparing our core values to those of other countries, such as Sweden, we see a large difference right off the bat. One of Sweden’s top core values is openness, cooperation, security and trust. This can be translated into many different ideas, just as America’s can, but it also shows where their priorities lie. Whereas America’s priorities are in freedom, Sweden’s are in openness. This, in turn, can show that where America’s main belief is in rights for all through freedom, Sweden’s main concern is with all being accepted and resolving issues through other means, such as working together to come to a solution. They want their people to be able to have security and trust within their country.
Our “American Creed” has guided our society through time. This has been helpful through the high points and the low points. There are many good things that come from our creed and our core values and there are also some portions that could be improved to become more beneficial to the members of our society.
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CIVITAS, (1991). A Force More Powerful. Retrieved October 20, 2008, from CIVITAS Web site: www.aforcemorepowerful.org/resources/docs/lesson1/core-values-of-american-constitutional-democracy.doc
Government Accountability Office, (2002). Diversity Jobs. Retrieved October 23, 2008, from Women and Minorities Still Not Advancing Web site: http://blog.diversityjobs.com/node/3460529
Hirsch, Kett and Trefil, (2002). Bartleby. Retrieved October 23, 2008, from The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy Web site: http://www.bartleby.com/59/5/protestantwo.html
“optimism.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008. Merriam-Webster Online. 23 October 2008
Stata, Raymie (1992, January). Redbarn. Retrieved October 20, 2008, from What is Individualism? Web site: http://rous.redbarn.org/objectivism/writing/RaymieStata/WhatIsIndividualism.html
