The national characteristic of the political and social structure of America is what makes it unique from other nations of the world. Martin Lipset points out that the key to understanding social, economic and political trends throughout American history is to consider them in the context of the five terms or otherwise known as the five dimensional prism, which are both governmental and social policies that establish a sense of independence and equality within the nation. Lipset also points out how you can’t understand the problem of America without noticing how it varies from other nations that have a different political, social and cultural identity. According to the passage given, the five core pillars of the American creed account for …show more content…
For example Martin Lipset stated that “..it is impossible to understand a country without seeing how it varies from others. Those who know only one country know only one country know no country.” (Author, Page Number) He points it out later on in the passage. For instance: the author describes how one of the most important bodies of writing that involves this country is referred to as the “foreign traveler” literature. These are articles and books written by visitors, largely European, that deal with the way in which America works when compared to other countries. Writers like Alex de Tocqueville traveled to America to find out why establishing a democratic government in his native country, France, during the French Revolution, had a bad outcome. But the same political system that was established in America, led to stability in the republic. Alex de Tocqueville emphasized that the meaning of the five terms of the