What does it mean to be American – and is it possible for Americans to unite in a common cause unrelated to war or terrorism? Barack Obama's unwavering vision of American Exceptionalism is not new; it’s been a feature of his rhetoric since he entered politics, but it’s significant that he doesn’t overtly define what it is NOT. This open-ended approach undoubtedly helped win him votes, but the term American Exceptionalism also has a long and convoluted history: it’s been used by American leaders and thinkers as shorthand for radically divergent ideas, including Christian manifest destiny, rugged individualism, freedom, anti-globalist isolationism, egalitarianism, and undisputed military might.Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55364115YouTube podcast episode: https://youtu.be/S7VuVYjpoksVisit https://podcast.jannastam.com/for more information about this podcastAudio production by Graham StephensonEpisode music: Caprese by Blue Dot Sessions

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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