exceptionalism

Inspired by this thread, I thought a poll might be interesting as some Americans didn't even know what the term means.

This belief seems to be a recurring theme throughout the presidential debates, with Mitt Romney in particular making use of it. 'Shining city on the hill' 'Hope of the Earth' 'Greatest nation in the history of the planet' seem to get applause lines, but is there anyone here who thinks there is...

GreyArea wrote the following in response to the OP about the American political spectrum. I've often pondered whether this is truly unique to the US. If you break it down, isn't this really bald faced nationalism for Americans to believe in their own exceptionalism? I can't think of any...

In several recent stump speeches, Sarah Palin has mentioned American exceptionalism. What exactly does she mean by this? I find it a little ironic, considering that she's supposed to be a Christian, and pride is, according to Christian dogma, supposed to be the most serious of the Seven Deadly...