The End of Exceptionalism

Good news doesn't sell. You are unlikely to see a newspaper headline that says no fires in New York City last night. But it's worth pointing out that there are important positive trends afoot in the world. Large majorities across countries and cultures are in favor of democracy, free markets, trade and cultural exchange. If you think back to a generation ago, in the mid-1980s, this is a sea change. Last week's release of the Pew Global Attitudes Survey provides the most vivid evidence of a new worldwide consensus. But—and here's the bad news—it highlights the fact that that the United States is becoming the odd country out.

The most striking statistic in the survey has to do with trade. Thumping majorities everywhere said that growing trade ties between countries are "very good" or "somewhat good"—91 percent in China, 85 percent in Germany, 88 percent in Bulgaria, 87 percent in South Africa, 93 percent in Kenya and so on. Of the 47 countries surveyed, the one that came in dead last was … America, at 59 percent. The only country within 10 points of us was Egypt.

Or take a look at the attitudes toward foreign companies. When asked if they had a positive impact, a surprisingly large number of people agreed. It's particularly interesting to see this in countries like Brazil, Nigeria, India and Bangladesh, which have typically been suspicious of Western multinationals. (South Asia's unease has some basis; those countries were colonized by a multinational corporation.) And yet, 73 percent in India, 75 percent in Bangladesh, 70 percent in Brazil and 82 percent in Nigeria favor these companies. The number in America, however, is 45 percent, which places us in the bottom five. We expect the world to welcome U.S. companies with open arms and yet do not reciprocate the hospitality.

The United States has always thought of itself as exceptional.

But nowadays we are standing apart for the wrong things. America has typically been seen as the place where the boundaries of personal freedom were being stretched, where women's liberation was forged, where wacky new lifestyles and crazes were most enthusiastically adopted. For much of the world, America was the future. That is not the impression you would come away with, looking at this survey. For example, America has an unusually regressive attitude on whether homosexuality should be "accepted," a much tamer question than whether to approve civil unions or gay marriages: 49 percent say yes, and 41 percent, no. On what has become a crucial test of a society's inclusiveness and tolerance, the United States lags well behind every Western European country, as well as many Eastern European and most Latin American countries. Catholic Mexico is far more accepting, with 60 percent saying yes, and only 31 percent, no.

The United States is becoming utterly unexceptional on another issue—immigration. It's not really news that majorities everywhere want to restrict and control immigration. But it is strange that sentiment is as strong in the world's foremost nation of immigrants. More Americans are against immigration than Frenchmen or Germans.