Owning worldwide principles: The case of American exceptionalism

Abstract

This article addresses the observation that, among 13 national legislatures compared, the proportion of floor debates containing a reference to the international community is lowest in the USA. Does the spirit of American exceptionalism make politicians particularly wary of being accused of cultural treason, so that they avoid references to exogenous models and international treaties or recommendations? Our analysis shows that, rather than alluding to the authority of the international community and to the principles it upholds, speakers refer to the self-image of the nation as a yardstick by which to assess whether a proposal aligns with esteemed values such as equality, freedom and democracy. In that way, rather than appealing to globally shared principles, the speakers claim ownership of them, constructing the USA as the self-evident origin of worldwide models. A comparison of the usage of the national self-image between the 13 countries studied here shows that it is most frequently used in the US Congress. Therefore, owning universal principles makes understandable the low frequency of international references in the US Congress.