Americanism
By Rick Adamson 2025.11.11
Abstract:
√ Belief in what America is: an idea—the spirit of Americanism–devotion to liberty, duty, and civic virtue
√ The American experiment is bound not by ancestry but by allegiance to these shared ideals
√ Belief in the dignity and value of citizenship
√ Belief that Americans are a virtuous people–with positive moral, intellectual and social traits, such as honesty, courage, compassion, prudence, temperance, fidelity and wisdom
√ Belief in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which protects the rights of all Citizens
√ Americanism has an identity crisis
“I'm so old I remember when loving your country, respecting the flag, and obeying the law were considered good character traits”…Unknown.
A Revival of Americanism and the Renewal of Citizenship
In a restless age of globalization, cultural division, growing political cynicism and digital distraction, America faces a quiet but profound identity crisis. The word American—once a unifying badge of pride, unity and purpose—has become uncertain in meaning and fragile in spirit. Patriotism is often mistaken for partisanship; citizenship has been reduced to mere paperwork, a formality, and our shared civic bonds are weakened by division. Yet the survival of our republic depends on more than laws or borders—it depends on a living belief in what America is; an idea—the spirit of Americanism. To preserve that belief, we must rekindle our devotion to liberty, duty, and civic virtue/spirit of Americanism, and restore the dignity and value of citizenship.
The Idea of Americanism
Americanism is not a matter of blood or birthplace. It is not mere nationalism or blind pride. It is a moral and civic creed: a faith in liberty, self-government, equality under law, and the dignity of individual conscience. From the Revolution onward, the American experiment has been bound not by ancestry but by allegiance to shared ideals. The Founders’ phrase E pluribus unum—“Out of many, one”—captured this revolutionary principle. The phrase is on our currency to this day–E pluribus unum.
What are those shared ideas/values, and how did they come about? See more [👉 here]
Throughout much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Americanism served as both glue and guide. Schools taught civic history and the Constitution as essential subjects. Immigrants were encouraged to assimilate–learn English, participate in civic life, and take pride in their new identity as Americans. Patriotism was not propaganda; it was gratitude to our forebears expressed toward a nation that promised liberty and rewarded hard work; it was a recognition that freedom carries obligations as well as rights.
Today, that shared understanding has eroded. Many young Americans learn little of the nation’s founding ideas or institutions, its basic principles of government or the meaning of constitutional rights. History is often portrayed not as a journey of self-correction and progress but as a litany of flaws; as a catalogue of grievances rather than a story of progress. Civic education has faded from the classroom, and the language of citizenship has grown hollow. Citizenship has been diluted into a mere legal status, divorced from moral and civic obligations. In losing faith in our shared ideals, we risk losing the unity they once inspired. Without a common moral vocabulary, the bonds that hold a free people together begin to fray.
"Our strength as a society comes from our shared values and our commitment to protecting one another. Any attempt to divide us through fear or harm has no place … in our nation," …Mark Michalek.
The Ideal of American Exceptionalism
American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is inherently unique or distinct from other nations due to its historical origins, political ideals, religious foundations, or commitment to principles like democracy, liberty, and individualism. This concept suggests that America holds a special role in the world, often as a model for others or as an exception to global norms and historical patterns. See more [👉here]
The Decline of Civic Identity and the Middle and Working Classes
Several forces have contributed to this decline in civic consciousness. Globalisation, while expanding economic opportunity, has blurred national boundaries and weakened the sense of belonging to a distinct community-America. Government policy, laws and Social media have fragmented the public square into ideological tribes, leaving little room for a common narrative. The rise of identity politics and cultural emphasis on personal identity—race, class, gender, national origin or ideology—has diminished the idea of a national identity grounded in shared values; the universalism at the heart of Americanism.
From the birth of the American Republic to the twenty-first century, the working and middle classes have stood as the essential core of the nation’s identity and survival. They are not merely demographic groups; they are the embodiment of the American social contract. The prosperity of the United States, its stability, and even its moral legitimacy depend upon the condition of these two intertwined classes. To understand America’s greatness—or its decline—one must examine the fortunes and struggles of its working and middle class.
Globalisation and trade policies have diminished the influence of these classes, although not their importance. See more [👉 here]
At the same time, civic education has withered. Generations have grown up unfamiliar with the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Federalist Papers, or the structure of their own government. When citizens no longer understand the system they inhabit, cynicism and disengagement follow. The decline in trust toward institutions—government, Wall Street, big businesses, media, even one another—reflects this civic decay.
Immigration, one of America’s greatest strengths, has also been stripped of its unifying moral dimension. The process of becoming an American—once a proud rite of passage—has been overshadowed by political rancour. Assimilation, once celebrated as inclusion through shared values, is now too often caricatured as exclusion. Yet the truth remains: the success of a diverse republic depends on a common civic foundation.
The U.S. is still feeling the repercussions of the broken immigration policies from the Biden administration that let in more than 10 million undocumented aliens.
Victor Davis Hanson explains how a system that doesn't vet immigrants coming into the U.S., allows them to refuse assimilation, and permits them to call America a 'racist country,' is a disaster.
“When you have people who have never had the American experience and they don't know anything about your culture, your language, and you decide to let in millions in one big fell swoop, then you'd better have a Marshall Plan for civic education. At every Walmart, at every Home Depot, at every Target, we have a little booth where you sign up for English lessons and tutorials about the American experience, but we don't.”
The Value of Citizenship
Citizenship is more than legal status; it is a covenant between the individual and the nation. The citizen pledges loyalty, participation, and responsibility. In return, the nation guarantees protection, representation, and the rule of law. This relationship distinguishes citizens from residents or subjects. It implies not only legal membership but moral responsibility. This mutual obligation forms the moral core of republican government.
To be a citizen is to be a steward of the republic. The duties of citizenship—voting, serving on juries, obeying just laws, and defending the Constitution—are acts of preservation. They keep alive the experiment in self-government that began in 1776. Yet these duties also bring profound rewards. Citizenship gives individuals a sense of belonging to something larger than themselves—a shared destiny that transcends wealth, ancestry, or ideology.
Legal immigrants are taught these and other things prior to going through the naturalization process; that citizenship involves a proud and solemn commitment to the nation in exchange for the rights and protections offered by the United States.
Unfortunately, too many of our homegrown youngsters are not taught these things: they end up taking their citizenship for granted. They have no skin in the game, and many could not pass the test required of naturalized citizens.
When citizenship loses its meaning, democracy weakens. People who no longer feel pride in their country will not defend it. A generation that sees liberty as an entitlement, not an achievement, will not sustain it.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that…the naturalization process - becoming a citizen - no longer requires becoming an American. The real tragedy and the real crime of the…plan for accelerated naturalization of millions flows from the redefinition of citizenship as a triumph of multiculturalism”.... Tom Tancredo
More about Citizenship in America [👉 here].
A Path to Renewal
To revive Americanism, we must rebuild both understanding and commitment-it demands deliberate effort to rebuild civic understanding, national unity, and moral confidence. This requires practical steps:
Restore civic education. Every student should graduate with a deep understanding of the Constitution, the rights and duties of citizenship, and the moral vision of the Founding.
Reaffirm and teach the meaning of citizenship. Naturalization ceremonies should be celebrated publicly, symbolizing the honor of joining the American community. English proficiency, civic testing, and oaths of allegiance should be treated as meaningful, not procedural.
Promote and celebrate the working and middle classes, as they are the glue that holds the experiment together. In the early republic, thinkers like Thomas Jefferson envisioned a “nation of yeoman farmers,” independent producers whose modest ownership of land would ensure civic virtue and self-government. See more [👉 here]
Teach law and ethics. Every student should understand the basics of criminal, civil and commercial law as well as ethics and civility.
Economics. Students should be instructed on how our capitalistic system functions.
Encourage national service. Voluntary service—whether military, community, or environmental—builds solidarity and shared purpose.
Promote unity over division. Leaders, media, and institutions must resist the temptation to inflame identity conflicts. Americanism calls us to remember what unites us, not what separates us.
Lead by example. Civic virtue begins with personal conduct. Citizens and leaders alike must model patriotism as gratitude and responsibility, not anger or exclusion.
Rethink our immigration system. Only allow immigration in numbers that we need to move the country forward (workforce), that can be efficiently assimilated and maybe a few refugees (no asylum seekers). Only allow those who love America and wish to become American citizens. No Americans in Name Only (AINO). To paraphrase John F. Kennedy… Ask them what they can do for our country, not what we can do for them!
Conclusion
Americanism is not nostalgia but faith in the promise of freedom. It is the belief that a diverse people can govern themselves through reason, law, and moral confidence. To revive it is not to retreat from progress, but to preserve the foundation that makes progress possible.
Citizenship, rightly understood, is both privilege and duty. It is the bond that turns millions of individuals into a people, and a territory into a nation. The renewal of American life depends not on rediscovering new values, but on remembering enduring ones.
If we can restore pride in being American—not arrogance, but gratitude, service, and shared purpose—we can once again summon the confidence and cohesion that built this nation. The task before us is not to reinvent America but to remember her, to renew the covenant of citizenship that binds “We the People,” and to ensure that the flame of freedom continues to burn brightly for generations to come.
And That’s that!
Further Reading
See America's Exceptional Role in the World [👉 here]
See American Citizenship and its Decline [👉 here]
See my article on Citizenship [👉 here]
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