Often, during presidential debates or when one is discussing a political issue, someone will say something controversial and the response will be "You're wrong. America is the greatest country on earth!" During presidential debates, the crowd usually claps with joy, but the boy discussing politics with his father is dumbfounded and has no response. The response abruptly puts an end to discussion that could have yielded insight to an issue. American exceptionalism may seem like a wonderful, positive idea that inspires confidence, but in reality, the concept hinders the growth of the United States of America as a whole.
As of late, the Republican Party has been lobbying to change the United States Advanced Placement History course framework to take emphasis off of slavery and to shift focus to the founding fathers. In late June, the AP board caved to Republican pressure and implemented exceptionalism in the framework of the course. Given recent events regarding the Confederate Flag and its place in history — not on our government's buildings — taking emphasis off the Civil War takes away important knowledge from the brightest young minds around the country. In addition, the new course focuses less on Japanese internment camps and the controversy behind the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and more on American success in the war against the Axis powers. At its core, the new framework draws away from a modern viewpoint of the United States' history.
The main issue that exceptionalism poses is stopping progressive thought. The idea that America is perfect results in acting as though all of its policies are perfect, and frankly, they're not. In the modern era, the world stage is constantly evolving, and American policy and thought should be following suit. The U.S. is falling behind in education, policy and economic prosperity and must modernize. The key to success is to move forward.
