America's Core Values
You often hear of America as a Melting Pot. People from all over the world coming to the United States of America to achieve the American Dream. There is a special ingredient that keeps this Melting Pot from boiling over, American Values. For America to be successful everyone who comes must subscribe to common values. These values include Independence, Individual Freedom, Equality of Opportunity, Hard Work, and Competition.
Independence
America was born out of the fight for independence. The colonies fought off the British army, the largest military force in the world at that time. The colonies were fighting for their independence and the right to be their own country. The revolution gave birth to the ideals that still live in the American spirit today.
The importance of independence is what gave the founding fathers the reason for the second amendment. The theory behind allowing American citizens to bear arms is to fight off government forces that tries to take away its citizens right. This is exactly what the founding fathers had just gone through in the revolutionary war.
Individual Freedom
Individual freedom is a side effect of America’s fight to be independent. This country was founded on the idea that we the people decide how we want to be governed and how we live our lives. Americans believe that everyone should be in control of their own destiny. The reason being that to truly be free you cannot live in system where you rely on the government for basic needs. Many countries that resort to that kind of government reliance end up becoming poor and many of their citizens find that their basic needs are not met.
The American culture has been shaped around the idea of individual freedom. Everyone is expected to be self-reliant in many faucets of their life. Children are expected to move out of their parents’ house get a good job and eventually start a family of their own if they so choose. Becoming self-reliant doesn’t mean you can never ask for help from your family or friends, but it does mean you do not look for government to support you’re everyday needs.
Equality of Opportunity
Equality of Opportunity is what separates America from most other countries. Many countries have class systems, and, in these systems, you might be stuck in the class you are born in. Some countries may allow you to marry someone in a higher class which then allows you to move up. Even countries that have abolished their old formal class systems may still have some aspects of the classes remaining.
However, America is unique. There was never a traditional class system implemented in America. Often you hear of a lower, middle, and upper class in America, but these are based on your socioeconomic status. Your socioeconomic status is based on various factors that are in your control, such as income, education, employment, and community safety. Equal opportunity means that everyone has an opportunity to change these factors, and no one is defined by what family they are brought up in.
Hard Work
Americans believe that the American Dream can be achieved by hard work. Since everyone has an equal opportunity in the country to succeed you reap what you sow. Many immigrants come to this country to take advantage of this opportunity to work hard and succeed. There are many success stories come from either native-born Americans and immigrants that start with nothing and through their hard work they build a better life for them and their families.
Competition
Americans tend to be very competitive from a young age. Many Americans will do some sort of competitive sport or academic competition in either elementary school or high school. This competitive spirit is also what drives the American workplace and marketplace.
Competition is what drives the American dream and economy. We have a capitalist economy which is driven by competition in the marketplace. This competition challenges companies to make better products at a lower price and provide good customer service. Competition also drives companies to pay employees good salaries and give them a great work environment.
Competition also drives individuals to succeed and provide a good life for their families. We all want to “keep up with the Jones,” meaning we all want to do as well as or better than our neighbors or family members. Competition in the marketplace and in the American homes has raised the American standard of living and helped make America the world’s leading economy.
These values have been part of America since the Declaration of Independence was written. Today these values are still at the core of American culture and shape the everyday lives of Americans.