American values
Liberty and equality
American values refers to ideals commonly associated with United States culture and identity—typically including individual liberty, self-reliance, equality of opportunity, free enterprise, and democratic participation.
The phrase appears in political rhetoric across the spectrum, with speakers claiming their positions embody these values while opponents betray them: That's not who we are as Americans.
What counts as an American value depends heavily on who's invoking the term.
- flagCloth symbol or signal
- civil rights movementOrganized effort against discrimination
- capitalismPrivate profit-based economy
- freedomAbsence of constraint
- rule of lawSupremacy of established laws
individualism · pledge · founding fathers · self-reliance · upward mobility · white picket fence · patriotism · social mobility · integrity · justice · civic virtue · democracy · civic duty · religious freedom · equality · egalitarianism · voting rights · town hall meeting
- AmericanaAmerican flag, Fourth of July, bald eagle, Thanksgiving, apple pie
- social studiescivics, social studies, maps, economics, community
- ethicsmorality, deontology, dignity, sanctity of life, utilitarianism
- moral philosophymoral philosophy, moral judgment, moral reasoning, moral principles, moral conduct
American valuescollectivism
Group primacy doctrine
totalitarianism · communalism · communitarianism · groupthink · conformity
American valuestotalitarianism
State controls everything absolutely
Marxism · communism · authoritarianism · fascism · despotism