Is the United States ‘Exceptional’?

Debates over issues of national identity have been constants in American history, up to and including today, with the Civil War being the most notable and violent example of serious disagreement about national identity and unity. There are many interpretations of how the country came to be, what its defining characteristics are, and how factual or merely self-congratulatory the elements of the nationalistic claims of exceptionality really were or are now. Like any nationalistic tenet, the exceptionality thesis certainly requires a deliberatively selective and incomplete understanding of the national history. Whole university courses and disciplines of study in American Studies could be devoted to this contentious topic in its broadest sense. The characteristics and conclusions set forth below are not definitive, or exclusive, but are important for foreign students of the United States to take into consideration when trying to understand the formation of the country and the effects of that process today. This essay is meant as a comprehensive introductory overview from an empirical comparative politics and society standpoint. Many links to a wealth of high-quality cost-free online sources in English are offered to assist interested persons who wish to analyze further some aspects of the contemporary situation of the United States in a comparative context

American Political Culture in Transition: The Erosion of Consensus and Democratic Norms

This article identifies and examines the major characteristics, trends, and tendencies in American political culture and political performance that have been evolving in recent years, for a comprehensive picture of how Americans perceive and believe about their country and its political system. The analysis places the findings in a comparative perspective, provides relevant insights from other Western democracies, and discusses the implications of the findings for American democracy. Many links to high-quality, cost-free online sources are offered to facilitate further study of relevant aspects of the contemporary situation of the United States

THE NATIONAL SECURITY DOCTRINE AND POLICIES OF THE BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT

Mode of access: Internet

¿Es Estados Unidos excepcional?

El "excepcionalismo" como conciencia de las diferencias entre los Estados Unidos y Europa (y el resto del mundo) y un sentido de superioridad se convirtieron en componentes del nacionalismo estadounidense y han afectado la forma en que los estadounidenses perciben el mundo y su papel en él. Hay muchas interpretaciones de cómo llegó a ser el país, cuáles son sus características definitorias y qué tan fácticos o meramente autocomplacientes fueron realmente o son ahora los elementos de las afirmaciones nacionalistas de excepcionalidad. Como cualquier principio nacionalista, la tesis de la excepcionalidad ciertamente requiere una interpretación deliberadamente selectiva e incompleta de la historia nacional. Este estudio examina el desempeño real actual del país, en términos económicos, sociales y políticos, en comparación con otras democracias desarrolladas, para evaluar la validez empírica de esa afirmación de "excepcionalidad" en la práctica real. Se ofrecen muchos enlaces a fuentes en línea gratuitas y de alta calidad en inglés para ayudar a las personas interesadas que deseen analizar más a fondo algunos aspectos de la situación contemporánea de los Estados Unidos en un contexto comparativo."Exceptionalism" as an awareness of the differences between the United States and Europe (and the rest of the world) and a sense of superiority became components of American nationalism and have affected the way that Americans perceive the world and their role in it. There are many interpretations of how the country came to be, what its defining characteristics are, and how factual or merely self-congratulatory the elements of the nationalistic claims of exceptionality really were or are now. Like any nationalistic tenet, the exceptionality thesis certainly requires a deliberately selective and incomplete interpretation of the national history. This study examines the actual current performance of the country, in economic, social, and political terms, in comparison to other developed democracies, to assess the empirical validity of that "exceptionality" claim in actual performance. Many links to high-quality, cost-free online sources in English are offered to assist interested persons who wish to analyze further some aspects of the contemporary situation of the United States in a comparative context

Brazil-Africa relations: Third world alternatives for development and security

The progress of Brazil’s relations with Africa has been remarkable, with broadening areas of cooperation and complementarity. From the African perspective, Brazil must produce contributions to Africa to satisfactorily strengthen the ties; from the Brazilian side the attention paid to Africa must carry a tangible economic payload. Brazil’s chief goals in Africa are economic, but political considerations abound. Among Brazil’s disadvantages in dealing with Africa are its inability to make the level of economic commitment Africa would like, its conservative government, its reluctance to get involved in African political or security issues, its competition with established powers, and its problems delivering financing for projects. Most African governments appear to regard Brazil as friendly to their interests, even though they would prefer more militance and action on matters concerning anticolonialism and national liberation movements in southern Africa

A new start toward a more decentralized Federalism in Brazil?

Brazil\u27s political history can be read as a cyclical alternation between centralization and decentralization-a contest between the center and the periphery. Centralizing tendencies reached one height under the Estado Novo of Getúlio Vargas (1937-1945) and peaked again under a series of military governments from 1964 to 1985. Forces favoring regionalism and more state and local autonomy have been given impetus during the 1980s by trends of regional differentiation, popular mobilization, return to civilian government in 1985, several key elections, and state and local financial crises. The constitution promulgated in October 1988 features decentralizing fiscal provisions that give reason to believe that federalism may be revitalized in the next several years in response to grassroots demands from state and local governments. However, these federalism reforms may be threatened by the national government\u27s attempts to thwart the constitution\u27s decentralization provisions and by national economic and political instability. Copyright © 1989, CSF Associates

Electoral Trends and Governability in Brazil

Analysis of the first public presidential election in Brazil since the start of the military dictatorship in 1964

Contradictions, dilemmas, and actors in Brazil’s Abertura, 1979–1985

Political parties in Brazil have been weak historically in performing the classic functions of interest aggregation and translating voter preferences into public policy. Brazil’s international credit flagged, and it was no longer possible after 1980 to stave off recession through foreign borrowing. During 1980 and into 1981, however, Joao Figueiredo’s initially strong popularity was challenged by less inhibited political activity, the death of imaginative Minister of Justice Petronio Portela, anti-abertura violence from the right, the restrictive effects of the foreign debt, and mounting economic recession. A constant sense of impending major shifts and growing complexity dampened the national spirit of self-confidence, raised the political stakes, soured the president’s mood, and accentuated the inherent problematical contradictions and dilemmas of abertura that plagued the rest of Figueiredo’s administration. Few expected major recriminations at the conclusion of abertura, but there was no certainty regarding what investigations and enforcement policies the next government might undertake, spurred by public opinion and a critical press