America is an Exceptional Nation, Built with Stolen People on Stolen Land
This was famously noted by the French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville. He was not calling America exceptional in a “we’re #1!” sense; rather, he was referring to various exceptions to the general rules of nations. America had become a world leader in a very short period of time. It created wealth faster than any other nation and rose to the top of the global order in a matter of centuries instead of millennia. De Tocqueville’s claim of American exceptionalism was made in comparison to Great Britain, from whom we successfully fought for and won our independence, and also to his native France, which aided our country’s establishment. America was able to create enormous wealth faster than any other nation before it, largely by leveraging vast amounts of stolen land and ship after ship full of stolen people. America’s original sins reverberate still today but so do her values. And those values are most evident in American civil society and its boundless number of voluntary associations and nonprofits.
America is also an exception to the rule of feudalism
Despite some early attempts to establish Feudal Lords here, it never took root. Our founding represented a fundamental turn away from hereditary title and generational wealth. This rejection shaped our country in unique ways: towards individualism and social mobility. We have never had Dukes or Barons or Jarls. In a feudal society, peasants would not have been allowed to organize a group of citizens concerned about the Duke’s recent policies; in America, that’s exactly what we do. Americans do not worry about their local Lord’s estate, and that Lord is not pressed to pay taxes to any King; our leaders do not rule by divine fiat and no American owes fealty to any other. The leadership of the State is separate from that of God.
Recently, we have seen a number of liberal democracies backslide into authoritarianism. This has prompted very understandable concerns that the same will happen to the United States. But, we can’t backslide into something we never had. Would-be authoritarians will need to craft a new form of the beast, and they’ll need to abandon the values that made this country great in order to do so.
The True Architects of American Greatness: Voluntary Associations
America’s exceptions made us wealthy but not great. A wealthy man sitting on stolen land surrounded by slaves is not a great man. The American propensity to form voluntary associations made us great. Groups of everyday Americans (not always wealthy) formed community organizations, societies, guilds, unions, centers, and leagues all over this land. These groups were formed by citizens who did not report to a Duke, Bishop, or Government. Unlike businesses, they did not pursue profit above all else; these organizations were accountable to their members and to the communities they served. These organizations include names like the YMCA, the United Way, and the American Red Cross. They’re also your local soup kitchens, community centers, and libraries.
American Presidents and Voluntary Associations
George Washington was a proud Freemason. Thomas Jefferson was a member of one of the very first college fraternities. Both gave to charitable causes generously. Abraham Lincoln signed the charter for Gallaudet University and FDR established the March of Dimes. Jimmy Carter created Habitat for Humanity. Our current President lost the right to operate a nonprofit in the state of New York because he misused charitable funds at the foundation that bears his name. This administration has taken an aggressive and oppositional stance towards a long established, and bipartisan supported tradition of government funding for nonprofit organizations and agencies. Our greatest leaders have always understood that voluntary associations make America great. Many of them have been with us since we were founded, or even before. The 20th century was shaped by names like Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Reagan but equally so by the American Legion and the Girl Scouts.
During the Obama Administration, I worked at Atlas Corps, a State Department funded cultural exchange program and later at PVBLIC Foundation where I was able to work with then-Vice President Joe Biden’s office on the creation of the “It’s On Us” campaign to end rape and sexual assault on college campuses. I have seen first hand the powerful positive change that can be made when the powerful align themselves with our inherent cultural values and leverage the power of voluntary associations in partnership.
Nonprofits and Government: A Crucial Partnership
Voluntary associations are helping to meet needs that even our enormous, well-funded system of government is unable to meet on its own. Our national budget is large, fourteen figures large, and 30% of those funds are disbursed to nonprofits so that they can further the priorities of all Americans.
Nonprofits (organizations that operate under the 501c3 section of our tax code) have been helping the US Government further national priorities for both parties for over a century.
Here are some examples:
-Over the last few decades, volunteers in the field of hospice care have helped our country move past our national indifference towards the sick and dying. Today, nearly every community has established hospice care services reliant on voluntary service. These services provide relief and care to the terminally ill and their family. It’s very likely that you or a love one has benefitted (or will benefit) from this care.
-We actually did save the spotted owl and the humpback whale. Voluntary associations focused on the preservation of wildlife, open spaces, and the preservation of our forests, wetlands and farmland (as well as our water and air) have created a widespread and bipartisan ethic of environmental stewardship that will benefit our society for centuries.
-Alcoholics Anonymous pioneered a model of mutual assistance to support those suffering with addiction and recovery.
-Voluntary support for the arts has made America the envy of the artistic world. Community theaters, dance and music programs, and other arts and culture organizations enrichen our cultural landscape.
-Social service agencies, often staffed by volunteers, are providing preschool education, day care services, cancer control, teen pregnancy prevention, and job training ,which fill gaps in our government’s services. Elected officials regularly praise these agencies and their fine work.
Our federal commitment to the nonprofit sector improves lives for all Americans and it is generously matched by philanthropists, foundations, and everyday givers who contribute an additional $560 billion to civil society every year. These nonprofits already operate under strict transparency: their tax returns and finances are available to the public, they submit to audits at their own expense, and they must regularly pass a rigorous “public support test” in order to prove that their work has societal benefit. Organizations that fail this test lose their tax exemption. And while it’s true that a dozen or so nonprofit CEOs are overpaid, and journalists love to cover this, those salaries are also an exception. A typical nonprofit leader is underpaid and on the verge of burnout. Lately, they must live under consistent existential threat.
Down My Street, and Yours
Down the street from me right now, a soup kitchen is preparing lunch for my city’s homeless residents, and next door a community action program runs a van shuttle service to help the elderly reach medical appointments. A federal, state, or municipal government looking to ameliorate poverty in my hometown would do best to partner with our local institutions. Cutting their funding will hurt my town and the people who live here.
Lately, we have been taking voluntary associations for granted. For decades now, we have seen declining civic engagement and nonprofits are constantly challenged by funding shortages and new government regulations. As income inequality becomes more extreme the influence of major donors increases while the number of them decrease. Large funds with $500 million or more are increasingly common and the minimum payout of 5% is also the average payout. In terms of wealth creation, we continue to be the exception to the rule and to many America remains the land of opportunity. That opportunity is most readily pursued in healthy, vibrant communities supported by strong voluntary associations.
If you think about your life and look around your street, you will see the impact of countless voluntary associations, nonprofits, and other community organizations. And you will realize that America’s greatness is not merely a product of its wealth or power but of our commitment to come together and support each other in line with our shared values. Civil society is the thread that weaves our social fabric. Volunteers have improved the community you live in and the organizations they support were addressing social challenges before you were born. As we face today’s challenges, let us remember that our strength lies not in government alone, but in the collective will and action of everyday citizens. America will not solve her problems by executive order or by slashing budgets. They will be solved by the passionate commitment of her citizens. This is the true exceptionalism of America, and our enduring promise for a brighter future.
