American History: A Survey

This dominant American political philosophy is characterized by minimal interference by the federal government, low taxation, and old-fashioned social structures. American conservatism often favors traditional Christian values, although it has been defined in various ways throughout the country’s history. The dichotomy between conservative and liberal values has always been a defining feature of US politics.

This political philosophy is related to colonialism but focuses more on gaining economic and political influence in foreign lands than on establishing large populations there. Many view US attempts to exert control in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and elsewhere as imperialist ventures. Critics of US foreign policy throughout the country’s history accused it of favoring imperialistic tactics, while the internal fight between isolationism and intervention is more broadly a struggle over the value of imperialism.

Often treated as synonymous with progressivism within this text, American liberalism is a political philosophy based on using the power of the federal government to promote social and economic stability and equality. Throughout US history, the struggle between liberalism and conservatism is a running theme.

Between 1933 and 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt enacted new regulations to strengthen the US financial system, help pull the country out of the Great Depression, and help ensure that market downturns could no longer have such a devastating effect. These measures included repealing Prohibition (legalizing alcohol) and creating many jobs to build public infrastructure in the rural US. In addition, the New Deal (and the Second New Deal) resulted in the formation of several important US federal organizations to regulate banks, insure liquidity, and ensure retirement income: the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Social Security Administration, which remain in place today. The book points out that conservative concerns stalled some of the New Deal projects, which weakened their effectiveness.

The practice of establishing separate social spaces for Black and white Americans, segregation was considered legal for many years under the theory that these spaces were “separate but equal.” Segregation was allowed by law from the end of the Civil War through the mid-20th century. Beyond its association with Black civil rights, the larger concept of cultural segregation is evident throughout American history. In contrast to the stereotype of the US as a cultural melting pot, both forced segregation and self-segregation of a range of different populations can be found in all periods in American history.

A founding principle of the US, social mobility first referred to the lack of an established class system within the US. In later years, it came to refer to the opportunities for social advancement within certain classes or population groups. Throughout US history, the reality of social mobility has varied, and certain groups have been more socially mobile than others in every American era.