American Ways: A Behavioral History of the United States with Expectations for the Future

by Stephen M. Millett

The American people have displayed consistent patterns of behavior for more than 400 years. They have placed great value on individual merits, rights, and interests. They also have enjoyed wide community participation, especially when the strengths of communities have supported the strengths of individuals. While Americans have loved private communities, they have always distrusted public communities (governments). They have shown a remarkable ability to combine self-interests with lofty ideals. One famous example was the ideals of racial superiority that justified the material interests of slave owners. While the Civil War ended slavery, it did not end the ideals upon which slavery had been justified. Americans have typically sought peaceful resolutions to their many conflicting individual interests, and they have done so through an ideal that has emphasized just and fair processes. These processes have rested upon the foundation of the U.S. Constitution, which has successfully resolved numerous conflicts through accommodations of many conflicting interests and parties. Only once has the Constitution failed. In matters of foreign affairs, Americans have always wanted to make the world safe for Americans. Foreign policy has had more to do with domestic than with international politics. Looking toward the future, the success of the American people rests upon expanding opportunities for individuals as expressed in five likely scenarios.

380 pages, Paperback

Published April 22, 2016