Although the notion that the founding of America has made it exceptional has provided inspiration to many a leader -- George Washington, James Madison, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan, to name a few -- it is not without its critics.
Some, while conceding that there may be some aspects to America's founding that make it distinctive, contend that its ideals have never been unique to this country. Some see in assertions of American exceptionalism a dangerous tendency toward arrogance and assertion of superiority, resulting in the U.S. exempting itself from international law or inter-governmental cooperation. And some eschew any notions of positive exceptionalism, instead focusing on America's negative aspects -- a seemingly never-ending list populated by items such as militarism, crime and imprisonment rates, racial disparities, income inequality, dysfunctional healthcare and education systems, and a debased popular culture.
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