THE PARADOXES OF AMERICAN NATIONALISM
Foreign Policy magazine, May/June 2003
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Summary
As befits a nation of immigrants, American Nationalism is defined not by notions
of ethnic superiority, but by a belief in the supremacy of U.S. democratic ideals.
This disdain for Old World nationalism creates a dual paradox in the American
psyce First, despite this nationalistic fervor, U.S. policymakers generally
fail to appreciate the power of nationalism abroad.
About the Author
Minxin Pei is senior associate and codirector of the Endowment's
China Program. He is the author of From Reform to Revolution: The Demise
of Communism in China and the Soviet Union (Harvard University Press, 1994)
and China's Trapped Transition: The Limits of Developmental Autocracy
(Harvard University Press, forthcoming).
Also by Minxin Pei:
Lessons From
The Past: The American Record of Nation Building(Carnegie Endowment
Policy Brief No. 24)
Beijing Drama:
China's Governance Crisis and Bush's New Challenge (Carnegie Endowment
Policy Brief No. 21)
Rebalancing
United States—China Relations (Carnegie Endowment Policy Brief
No. 13), coauthored with Michael
Swaine
Future
Shock: The WTO and Political Change in China (Carnegie Endowment Policy
Brief No. 3)