American Exceptionalism.

Heres a quoute from an article by Joshua Kurlantzick in January's issue of Prospect, entitled 'Ecxeptional America':

The Democrats must reclaim the most important narrative in US political history - that America is not one leader among many but an exceptional, moral and generous country that can inspire other nations. Europeans may cite examples of amoral or self-interested US foreign policy. But the exceptionalist narrative, drawing as it does on the country's founding utopian vision, resonates with Americans.

I think Kurlantzick is right. The exceptionalist (or manifest destiny) narrative is the dominant American narrative.

In the last 30 years Republicans, particularly under Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, have successfully been able to appeal to an messianic vision of America's role in the world. Democrats, on the other hand, have been hesitant to extol American virtue.

This is a shame because Democrats could offer a much better vision of American exceptionalism. An America dominated by the exceptionalist visions of Wilson, Roosevelt and Truman, would have much greater positive impact on the world than the Neo-Conservative imperialism which has dominated under Bush.