OPINION:
American exceptionalism is the unique liberty that we Americans enjoy due to our philosophy and system of government. The Declaration of Independence states that each of us has the same natural rights, and these cannot be given or taken away by another person. Among those rights are the rights to life, liberty and property.
The Constitution establishes a limited form of federal government with three separate and equal branches. Most power resides with the people and the states, not the national government. This means that the people are free to make most of the decisions necessary to carry on their lives.
Our system of representative, democratic government — a republic — specifically guarantees individual rights, and through various safeguards it seeks to protect the individual’s liberty from potential tyranny or abuse by the government. This system has enabled America to create and disperse more wealth to more people than any other nation in history. That’s why America has the highest standard of living in the world. American liberty and the resulting success is America’s exceptionalism.
CRAIG ANDERSON
Salt Lake City
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