After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
Understand why and how the concept of "American Diversity" was tested in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Explain how deeply-held American values and beliefs are directly linked to the operation of the American political system.
Discuss how and why the American heterogeneous society has been able to develop a homogeneous political culture.
Delineate the impact of immigrants upon the nation's evolution and overall history. Also, explain how contemporary immigration differs from that encountered in the past.
Explain the components of American individualism and classical liberalism. Why does tension exist between individualism and equality?
Describe those factors that contribute to the religious nature of American society and explain how that nature both contradicts and is consistent with the liberal tradition.
Summarize both traditional and more recent
explanations for why America has continued to
have a liberal culture.
