Many Americans often define what it means to be a citizen in this country through short, catchy mottos or phrases. What we believe to be the foundational principles of our nation are not gleaned from the complex philosophical writings of democratic thinkers like Alexis de Tocqueville, Jean Jacques Rousseau or John Locke. We are rather a people of brevity who through our history have made our value system and governing principles easily remembered statements that capture the essence of what it means to be an American. Whether it is the direct listing of our First Amendment rights or the memorable concluding words of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, what we stand for as a people or aspire to be as a nation are part of our political culture learned as early as elementary school, become required recitation in high school and are sung before athletic events.
We have only to look at the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and even our currency to see that what we believe as a people is easily accessible and clearly stated. From the Latin, E Pluribus Unum, we are reminded that our country is made up of great diversity — geographic regions, established states, socio-economic groups, organized religions, and ethnic and racial peoples. Together these individual and distinct parts become one, in a wonderful whole. E Pluribus Unum suggests that we are a nation that is unique in our diversity and that this diversity works to keep us strong as the United States of America. Of course, in the real world such diversity is not always attainable or complete as there are far too many examples of tension, polarization, discrimination and conflict in our history to force us to accept that E Pluribus Unum is at best aspirational, a noble goal despite its too frequent failures to achieve unity out of diversity. Nevertheless, from “many one” remains within our reach, a workable vision that continues to make us the envy of the world.
Then there are the words crafted by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence that established the principle of equal rights with the memorable statement that “all men are created equal.” These five words form the basis of our nation’s commitment to ensure that all citizens are viewed as equal and are provided with certain inalienable rights that guarantee their ability to live a life without being treated as different or “un-American.” The establishment of a standard of equality in our political culture has led to many legislative acts and court decisions that have formed a society where differences and disparities are not accepted or promoted, but rather are challenged as not within the spirit of what it means to be an American. But as with E Pluribus Unum, the road to equality has not been a smooth one. Protests and civil disobedience by African Americans to end discrimination, campaigns by women to ensure reproductive freedoms, and legislative battles for equal pay, equal education, and equal working conditions are all part of the struggle to make the words “all men are created equal” more than just an empty slogan.
Perhaps most memorable as a motto of Americana is the opening phrase of the Preamble to the Constitution with the words “We the People.” Those words form the basis of our democratic system and our belief that the people rule. But democracy in the American context does not mean the people actually control the governing of our country or that we the people make decisions on the laws and regulations that guide our way of living. Rather, our democracy is best described as a constitutional republic in which the people have the right and the power to cast their ballots in regular elections to name who will make public decisions for the nation. This republic is guided by a constitutional document that lays out the process of how our democracy will be organized and fulfilled. The importance of a constitutional republic is that our democracy is to be protected from excessive power in the hands of government officials and that no one is above the law or is allowed to use the governing office to illegally advance self-interests. Unfortunately, the democratic republic we live in is often too distant from our daily lives as Americans have become casual if not apathetic about their involvement in the affairs of government. Elections do give Americans an opportunity to express their opinions of government and governmental leaders but sadly participation in the democratic process is weak as only about 60% of citizens care to voice their opinion and chose their leaders in national elections with turnout substantially less in state or local elections. The result is that governing too often is in the hands of elites who work the system to their advantage.
America has always been a country where dreams are made and often come true. One of the most used mottos in our country is that we are “a land of opportunity.” From the early immigrant arrivals to this country who thought the “streets were paved with gold” to the recent start-up companies whose ideas and inventions can become billion-dollar enterprises, the opportunity to start a new life of freedom and prosperity is what makes this country so attractive to the world. This land of opportunity is often best described as “the American Dream,” a vision of what the free enterprise system of market capitalism can create for those who work hard, invest wisely and have the determination to make their dream a reality. But not all dreams are successful, as the market economy can ride a roller coaster of ups and downs, successes and failures, good times and bad. America has a large share of successful dreamers, millionaires and billionaires who have made the land of opportunity a reality. Yet, in our nation of dreamers there are far too many Americans who live on the edges of poverty and are just getting by. Our nation of wealth and opportunity has huge gaps between the rich and the poor (economists call this condition income inequality) with too many obstacles that stand in the way of achieving the American dream. There will always be an American dream as a goal in this land of opportunity but there will always be the American nightmare in this land where opportunity goes unfulfilled.
There are more mottos that describe what it means to be an American from “the land of the free to the home of the brave” to “justice is blind” to “In God we trust.” All of these phrases point to the United States as a special place to live and to dream. But with being special also comes the responsibility to serve as a model of freedom, equality, justice, and hope to the world. This of course is a huge responsibility that we Americans cannot take for granted or fail to work with determination to achieve. These are times when Americans are put to the test. In many respects, the world is counting on us to make these mottos real and to show the world that we can become “One,” “Equal,” “Democratic” and filled with unlimited “Opportunity.”