Jenna Hansen

POLS1100
Alan Chandler

U.S. Government & Politics Paper

Should Americans Believe in a Unique American Mission?
Should Americans believe in a unique American mission? Wilfred M. McClay says yes. He
believes Americas myth, our founding narrative, helps to sustain and hold together a diverse
people. Howard Zinn on the other hand, says no. He believes that the American mission talks
about the exceptionalism of our country which has only served as a justification for
lawlessness, brutality, and imperialism.
In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary mission is defined as "a task or job that someone is
given to do. It makes it sound so simple, yet the American Mission is not so simple. The
American Mission is complex, and not one person is assigned this mission, every American is. I
believe the American Mission to be interpreted as the American Dream, and the American Dream
has in turn been interpreted in many different ways. James Truslow Adams defined it as, life
should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability
or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. Google describes it as, the
ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity
through hard work, determination, and initiative. Although different, each of those defines the
same purpose, the purpose of which was said by the founding fathers, rooted in the Declaration

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of Independence which proclaims that "all men are created equal" with the right to "life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. So in the question of if Americans should believe in a unique
american mission, I agree with Wilfred M. McClay, yes.
Zinns main argument is his belief that people use this mission as a justification for
lawlessness, brutality, and imperialism. This is a false statement. Nothing can justify ones actions
no matter what it is. Every single person has a choice, and what they choose is on them. Whether
it be good or bad. The belief in a American mission or dream, does not make anyone do
anything. If they change what the founding fathers have interpreted it to mean, they must take
responsibility.
I believe that Americans should believe in a unique American mission like McClay, but
unlike McClay I think that the mission is like the American Dream. The word dream has a
positive connotation, the word mission seems very structured and strict. The American people
need something to believe in and I think remembering the American dream can keep us on the
right path. Our founding fathers had an idea of what America should be, and having the people
believe in that is essential to building it into that dream, making it a reality. Not only does
believing in a mission keep us on the right path to making America into the dream our founding
fathers came up with, but it also gives us hope. Hope that there is still good in the world and in
the people that occupy it. Believing in this mission/dream can make people strive for greatness,
and want to be better. People around the world all want to live in America. Over the years it has
been set up on this high and mighty pedestal, and I think that is due to our unique mission. In
order to keep that perception what it is and meet the expectations of people all around the world,
us as Americans must stay true to believing in what got us here, the American dream.

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The statement of this political issue gives off this vibe that America hasn't believed in a
mission at all, but questions if we should. I think that is wrong. We have been believing in a
mission, its just a question on whether or not we should keep believing in it. To sustain our
greatness, we need to keep believing.

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