American Exceptionalism And Its Impact On U.s. Foreign Policy

American Exceptionalism is one of important aspects in studying the United States. It has a very important effect in every field in American society. It can explain many American phenomena. As a political cultural tradition, it plays an important role before America's founding and in the course of American development.In the colonial period, American Exceptionalism came into being. It has an intimate relation with Puritanism. When the first European immigrants reached the new continent, they decided to found a new world different from the old continent. America is a sacred place that God entailed to the people. The immigrants are the chosen people and delegates that God dispatched to save the world. Americans are the most excellent. They have virtues that other people haven't. Superiority and manifest destiny are the obvious spiritual support of Americans. These are also the origin of ideology and the base of American Exceptionalism.American Exceptionalism refers that in the history of American development, the United States is unique in every field compared with the other countries. It's the basic element of Americanism. The United States is the best country in the world. The different characteristic lies in everywhere in American society : geographical location , democratic model , social change , social composition and religious situation. American Exceptionalism brings about a lot of positive effects and at the same time it also results in some negative aspects that don't benefit for the stability of the American society.Now American Exceptionalism still can play an important role because in various historical periods, there are several forces that acted continuously to preserve American Exceptionalism. They don't cancel each other, but complete each other.American Exceptionalism has an important effect on the American foreign policy in American history. This made the foreign policy covered the obvious American character. Since the United States' founding, every foreign policy has a direct or indirect relation with American Exceptionalism.American Exceptionalism also affects the American foreign action. This article from four aspects explains the effects.Since the late 1940s, the end of American Exceptionalism has been anticipated or proclaimed. After the "9 · 11" terrorist attack, some theorists claimed again the end of American Exceptionalism. In fact, American Exceptionalism as one kind of research method still can maintain its vitality.