America is not a set idea or definition, but is a combination of many diverse people and their cultures. The basis of this country is identified through its diversity and the freedom in which every person posses. People come to this country to develop a better life for themselves and in hopes of one day achieving the “American Dream.” America is not only a country, but also an idea that is one of the most prevalent in out world. America as a country consists of many parts that all fit together as one. One of the first parts that actually make a country a country are the people that make it up.
Or at least this is what I have come to understand. In American society everyone strives to make something out of themselves, jumping at the opportunity to make themselves rich. Although only the successful actually attain this dream its still was a very good motivator for immigrants and Americans alike. The American dream affected how most laws were made. With the way the government is set up the people who govern the country have to think about what is best for the average citizen.
According to Paine (1776) “Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher”. The government must first recognize the rights of every citizen and it must give opportunity to exercise those rights to pursue the American dream. With the help of our founding fathers, The Declaration of Independence provides Americans with the dream of “Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness.” Liberty is still very much a part of American society today.
Oppressed and “poor” citizens would have the opportunity to succeed. Since the English colonists and founding fathers pushed for independence and self-reliance, they could then make a statement of unity, taking ownership of land and property, a majority of citizens profiting and political power. Another advantage of creating a nation is developing social harmony. They urged for a “middle” social class, as opposed to a majority of “poor” citizens and a few wealthy citizens, who have all of the power and control. Zinn pays tribute to the founding fathers by stating how effective their intentions were to start the American Revolution.
The economy of the United States then began to fall. As the war continued, Americans became dissatisfied with their political leaders and their government. They became more aware of the deceit of these leaders and began to doubt the government and view everything the government did with
From the 1820 to 1860, Manifest Destiny played a major role in American Politics. The majority of the country felt that is was America’s duty to stretch America from coast to coast to expose as many people as possible to the wonders of America. Between 1820 to 1860, the annexations of Oregon and Texas/California played major roles in American politics because having almost all of North America encompassed by the United States would limit the competition of foreign nations especially Britain, Mexico, and the Indians, provide the United States with more resources, serve as aid in protection from foreign countries, and serve as an easier route to India. James Monroe predicted in his Doctrine (1823) that America needed to expand to protect itself from foreign powers. Being President, Monroe had a significant amount of power over the country and its government.
The underlying political structure of this country is being tested with war, economic hardship and a corrupt Congress. The United States is a nation founded upon a demand for representation, and this has become harder to accomplish with of millions of people represent. But that does not mean that we should not hold the government to a high standard. Congressmen today are fueled by their greed, they are misinformed, and most people don’t even like them. The system here is broken; the system of representation in the United States is a failure.
America offers more opportunity and hope for humanity, should this make us superior to other nations? Are our constitutional ideals that are focused on political values and economic freedom giving us the high chair against these other countries? We would wish to think so. The nation we live in gives us the right to be involved in the government publicly and privately. The constitution we abide by gives everyone a chance to have a growing future to become what you truly want to become.
What Defines An American? The United States of America: It is a story of progress, of ever-expanding freedom, and of an always widening definition of what it means to be an American. As we can see today, there is no simple answer to the question, ‘What defines an American?’ When our founding fathers were constructing our social contract for the United States of America, which was the Constitution, the opening words, “We the people,” had a certain meaning. This meaning was that the power of government comes from the people, and based off this, has shaped America to what it is today. When talking about the definition of what an American is, nearly 100 years ago, in 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt hit the nail on the head when he stated
They don’t have the economy we have or goods. This among the next few reasons is why we should allow immigration in the United States. Most immigrants don’t have great lives or like their home country and that’s why they want to come to America. They have to deal with wars and abundant spread of diseases without proper health care. Most of them have dictatorships and they don’t have the freedoms they deserve as human beings.