Summer Reading Assignment: The Idea that is America
The Idea that Is America: Keeping Faith with Our Values in a Dangerous World
By Anne-Marie Slaughter
Emmanuel College gives first-year students a required summer reading assignment in preparation for the start of the new school year.
Some questions to consider as you read The Idea that Is America: Keeping Faith with Our Values in a Dangerous World:
Chapter 1: Liberty
Do you think there are certain groups in American society being deprived of liberty? If so, what groups? What is the justification for the deprivation of their liberty? Do you think the justification is legitimate?
Do you think the deprivation of liberty to some groups has an impact on those who do the depriving?
Chapter 2: Democracy
Can we separate the liberal from the democratic? Can we separate the economic component of government from the political? Or does the economic component overwhelm the political? And if we agree that liberal in an economic sense is more individually-driven, are we creating a culture of consumption over a communitarian civic culture?
Chapter 3: Equality
How has (in)equality changed over the course of American history? Why is Slaughter so worried about the type of inequality we are seeing today versus what has historically existed?
How does education play into the notion of equality in American society?
Chapter 4: Justice
According to Slaughter, how do liberty, justice, and society's moral values intercept?
Slaughter posits that the meaning of justice has been interpreted differently depending upon society's values at the time when the "democratic conversations" are taking place, thus resulting in actions that are rendered either lawful or unlawful. Groundbreaking American cases, such as Plessy v. Ferguson, Karematsu v. United States, and Brown v. Board of Education might have been decided differently had they been argued during different points in American history. Think of a cause or controversy being discussed today, and accepted by American values, that may not commit to the promise of "justice for all."
Chapter 5: Tolerance
In general, tolerance is defined as "open-mindedness." Slaughter states that "tolerance is not a luxury, but a necessity" (p. 148) and "a fundamental American value" (p. 150). She continues to state that "tolerance cannot be a passive value…" but rather "…an active process of engaging, listening, and responding.." and that "..we have to work at it" (p. 169).
Have you ever found yourself engaging, listening and responding to someone different from yourself? Explain the situation.
How have you experienced prejudice--that is, the opposite of tolerance?
Based on Slaughter's views, why is it so vital to our continued existence as a democracy to maintain tolerance?
Chapter 6: Humility
Do readers agree with Slaughter that at this point in history, America has more hubris than humility?
Chapter 7: Faith
Slaughter discusses two types of faith that have influenced American decision making: religious faith and humanist faith. Which do you think plays a bigger role today in the United States? Why?
Slaughter uses examples from three notable speeches given by American leaders: Martin Luther King, Jr., Judge Learned Hand, and Barack Obama. All three used the idea of faith to inspire change and define our national character. Is there strong faith amongst Americans? Do we live up to the ideals outlined in these great speeches?
Much of Slaughter's book is based upon the ideals upon which the country was founded. Read the original documents that enshrine those ideals: The U.S. Constitution, The Bill of Rights, and The Federalist Papers #10 and #51.
What is America really all about? Check out a series of essays asking just this question from The Atlantic Monthly.
Debates over the role of the United States within the world community are nothing new. See what others have said from the 1950s through today. Read Arthur Schlesinger's 1956 essay "The Liberal Tradition in America," Samuel Huntington's 1993 "Clash of Civilizations" speech, and watch Francis Fukuyama discussing his famous 1989"End of History?" article.
Check out the websites of some of the most influential supra-national organizations, such as The United Nations, NATO, the European Union, and the African Union.
Listen to Anne-Marie Slaughter, the author of The Idea that is America, on her experience in China and what it tells us about the United States.
Read what Anne-Marie Slaughter has to say about U.S. involvement in Iraq in a series of New York Time's Op-Ed pieces and see how her position has changed from 2003 to 2008:
Op-Ed #1 »
Op-Ed #2 »
Op-Ed #3 »