Nationalism: The Three Elements of American Nationalism (Essay Sample)

NATIONALISM
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Introduction
Nationalism remains a debatable concern with different political analysts taking divergent views on its definition. However, Nationalism can be collectively referred to as an affectionate and devotion to one’s state. This article highlights the tenets on American nationalism. To begin with, American nationalism is denoted by the axiom and exquisite belief in the absolute supremacy and authority of the United States democratic values and ideals. The transcendence of the American Nationalism is a direct constraint to the reigning establishment which encompasses the Republican and the Democratic Parties (Bairner, 2001, 24).[Bairner, Alan. 2001. Sport, nationalism and globalization: European and North American perspectives. Albany: State Univ. of New York Press.]
Nationalism roots
Nationalism officially commenced in the eighteenth century when Americans began identifying and relating with their state in contrast to the preceding periods when they were relating to a city or a local state (Brown, 1966). This a basis on enlightenment, the transition on nationalism has revolved around episodes such as the French and the American Revolution where persons identified with state identities and loyalties to their state rather than being mere loyalties to the ruling monarchs (Essien-Udom, 1971).[Brown, Thomas N. 1966. Irish-American nationalism, 1870-1890. Philadelphia: Lippincott.] [Essien-Udom, E.U. 1971. Black nationalism: a search for an identity in America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.]
Nationalism Drawbacks
However, despite the sweet spot elaborated on the aforementioned sentiments, nationalism has some drawbacks. To begin with, the United States has been quoted as the “melting pot” and a state of immigrants (Featherstone, 1990). This may seem biased and fallacious since American identity “is not based on a specific niche but in conformity and agreement to pursue common set of values regardless of ethnicity, religion and race. The political arena of the past decade has emphasised the concern of e pluribus unum unravelling three distinct definitions of the American state that are more exclusively inclined than inclusive (Goodman, 2005).[Featherstone, Mike. 1990. Global culture: nationalism, globalization and modernity. London u.a: Sage Publ.] [Goodman, James. 2005. Nationalism and global solidarities: alternative projections to neoliberal globalisation. London: Routledge.]
The three elements of American Nationalism
The first lot refers to the “unhyphenated Americans”. For so long the American citizens have been questioned by Census Bureau “to what state does a specific individual draw their ancestry or heritage?’ Among the statics evaluated among the whites, 14% are the English portion, 16% are the of the Irish origin and lastly 17% are of the German origin. However, roughly 1/12 of the Americans interviewed affirmed that they are simply “Americans,” highlighting that an indigenous white identity unrelated to any specific European heritage or ancestry (Greenfeld, 1992).[Greenfeld, Liah. 1992. Nationalism: five roads to modernity. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.]
The aforementioned “unhyphenated spot light survey” points out that the topmost level of “American” identity resonates among the whites residing on the rural regions and whose education hierarchy proves a constraint. A recently conducted survey unravels that whites linked to the “unhyphenated” heritage or identity are mostly the participants in voting extremely conservatively and often are under external forces and threats from foreign entities (Kohn, 1957, 54).[Kohn, Hans. 1957. American nationalism an interpretative essay. New York: Macmillan.]
The second lot is picked by the Christian Nationalists. The highest viral and vicious religious upheaval in the American politics arena is relative to the Establishment Claude and the prolonged doctrinal of the Protestant possession of an ethical nation (Krakau, 1997, 67). In this regard, Christian Nationalists have the topmost accordance with the four creeds concerning the state of America: that is "holds a special place in God's plan;" that "God has chosen [America] to lead the world;" that the United States "was founded as a Christian nation;" and "it is important to preserve the nation's religious heritage." A deep research carried out by the Public Religion Research Institute unravelled that roughly sixty-two percent of Americans fully concur with the phrase that "God has granted America a special role in human history." This research further unravelled that fifty-two percent of the American participates merged with the phrase that "believing in God." Lastly, a thirty-three percent affirmed that "being a Christian" was an essential and critical aspect of being “truly American." However, this study further affirmed that the sentiments offered concerning Christian Nationalists are heavily reliant with a Biblical perspective and literalism (Ordover, 2003). This implied that concurrence with this assertions were strongly anti-Islamic opinions among the American residents. The political arena in this regard affirms a degree of uncertainly cluttered with vast queries concerning “the degree and the intensity of Christianization.”[Krakau, Knud. 1997. The American nation, national identity, nationalism. Münster: Lit.] [Ordover, Nancy. 2003. American eugenics: race, queer anatomy, and the science of nationalism. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.]
Lastly, the last lot is occupied by the New Nationalists. The term “New Nationalism” was crafted by Michael Lind in the 1900s who interpreted and epitomized it to an aristocratic white reign. Under the curtains of the New Nationalists, the white aristocrats converge into a private realm which encompasses individual institutions such as schools, healthcare, suburbs and security (Smith, 2010). The New Nationalism is highly narrowed to the American “bootstrap ideology.” The constraint with such an ideology is that it is reliant on individuals property liberties and responsibilities. The New Nationalists diverge and overly differ with the Christian Nationalists at distinct levels and in core beliefs. The New Nationalists, however, have some converging aspects and beliefs with the unhyphenated Americans. Societies adopting these indifferences reside mostly in the northern part of Virginia.[Smith, Anthony D. 2010. Nationalism: theory, ideology, history. Cambridge, UK: Polity.]
It is most significant to note that that the aforementioned precepts of American Nationalism have common aspects. The three precepts bring forth the identity elements of religious, wealth or ethnical identity. The three elements override each other, mostly via ...