The Land of the Free: Is Freedom a Central Element of American Identity?

1. Freedom as a Foundational Concept in the United States

Freedom has been embedded in the United States’ identity since its creation. The Declaration of Independence (1776) affirmed that every person is born with basic rights, including liberty. The U.S. Constitution and its first ten amendments—known as the Bill of Rights—reinforce these values by protecting free speech, religion, and the press, among others.

The concept of liberty remains a defining part of how Americans see themselves and their country.

Symbols and Leaders That Embody American Freedom

2. National Emblems and U.S. Presidents

Several symbols and figures represent this idea of freedom. The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, stands at the entrance to New York Harbor, welcoming immigrants and symbolizing hope and liberty.

American presidents have also embraced and defended this ideal. Franklin D. Roosevelt, for instance, emphasized the “Four Freedoms” in a famous speech in 1941: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. These values later influenced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Social Inequalities and Challenges to Freedom

3. The Struggle for Equal Rights

Despite the national focus on liberty, not everyone in the U.S. has historically enjoyed the same freedoms. For a long time, African Americans were denied equal rights and opportunities. Segregation laws kept Black people apart from white citizens in many public places.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 marked a major step forward by banning discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This helped bring legal protection to all citizens, but disparities remain in areas like income, education, and policing.

Modern Reflections: Is Freedom Fully Realized Today?

4. Who Truly Enjoys Liberty in the U.S. Today?

Today, some question whether freedom is accessible to everyone. Historically, only white male landowners were considered full citizens. It wasn’t until 1920 that women gained the right to vote with the 19th Amendment. Even now, debates continue over who can fully enjoy civil liberties in practice.

Issues like voter suppression, economic inequality, and racial profiling suggest that freedom is still not equally experienced by all Americans.

Focus Section: Guns – A Liberty or a Risk?

The Second Amendment to the Constitution gives Americans the right to bear arms. Some people defend gun ownership as a form of personal freedom, while others argue it puts public safety at risk.

A 2020 survey showed differences in opinions based on gender, ethnicity, community type, and political affiliation. For example, women and people living in urban areas were more likely to see guns as a threat than men or rural residents.

We’re Experts in Fascism.
We’re Leaving the U.S. | NYT Opinion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXR9PByA9SY

(00:03) I’m a historian of totalitarianism. I look at fascist rhetoric. I’ve been thinking about the sources of the worst kinds of history for a quarter of a century. “Experts say the constitutional crisis is here now.” ”The Trump administration deporting hundreds of men without a trial.” "A massive purge at the F.B.I." "To make people afraid of speaking out against him." I’m leaving to the University of Toronto because I want

(00:34) to do my work without the fear that I will be punished for my words. The lesson of 1933 is you get out sooner rather than later. I’ve spent a lot of time in the last decade trying to prepare people if Trump were elected once, let alone twice. "Look what happened. Is this crazy?" [CHEERING] I did not flee Trump. But if people are going to leave the United States or leave American universities, there are reasons for that.

(01:03) One thing you can definitely learn from Russians — — is that it’s essential to set up centers of resistance in places of relative safety. We want to make sure that if there is a political crisis in the U.S., that Americans are organized. ”We’ve just gotten started. You haven’t even seen anything yet. It’s all just kicking in.” My colleagues and friends, they were walking around and saying, "We have checks and balances.

(01:30) So let’s inhale, checks and balances, exhale, checks and balances." And I thought, my God, we’re like people on the Titanic saying our ship can’t sink. We’ve got the best ship. We’ve got the strongest ship. We’ve got the biggest ship. Our ship can’t sink. And what you know as a historian is that there is no such thing as a ship that can’t sink. "The golden age of America has only just begun.” America has long had an exceptionalist narrative —

(02:03) fascism can happen elsewhere, but not here. But talking about American exceptionalism is basically a way to get people to fall into line. If you think that there’s this thing out there called America and it’s exceptional, that means that you don’t have to do anything. Whatever is happening, it must be freedom. And so then what your definition of freedom is just gets narrowed and narrowed and narrowed and narrowed,

(02:28) and soon, you’re using the word freedom — what you’re talking about is authoritarianism. Toni Morrison warned us: “The descent into a final solution is not a jump. It’s one step. And then another. And then another.” We are seeing those steps accelerated right now. There are some words in Russian in particular that I feel help us to understand what’s happening in the United States because we now have those phenomena.

(03:14) "Proizvol": It’s the idea that the powers that be can do anything they want to and you have no recourse. This not knowing who is next creates a state of paralysis in society. The Tufts student whose visa was removed because she co-authored an article in the Tufts student newspaper. [DESPERATE YELLING] I thought, what would I do if guys in masks tried to grab my student? Would I scream? Would I run away? Would I try to pull the mask off?

(03:49) Would I try to videotape the scene? Would I try to pull the guys off of her? Maybe I would get scared and run away. The truth is, I don’t know. Not knowing terrified me. It’s a deliberate act of terror. It’s not necessary. It’s just being done to create a spirit of us and them. "Prodazhnost": It’s a word in Russian for corruption, but it’s larger than corruption. It refers to a kind of existential state in which not

(04:20) only everything but everyone can be bought or sold. "Critics are calling this a quid pro quo deal between Adams and President Trump." "I’m committed to buying and owning Gaza." "He made $2.5 billion today, and he made $900 million." There’s an expression in Polish: "I found myself at the very bottom, and then I heard knocking from below." In Russian, that gets abbreviated to "There is no bottom." "We cannot allow a handful of communist radical left judges

(04:53) to obstruct the enforcement of our laws." What starts to matter is not what is concealed but what has been normalized. There is no limit to the depravity — ”President Trump did not rule out the possibility of a third term.” — and the sadism — “The White House released this video titled ASMR Illegal Alien Deportation Flight.” — and the cruelty that we are watching now play out in real time. “This facility is one of the tools in our tool kit that we

(05:21) will use.” You have to continually ask yourself the question, "Is this OK? Is there a line I wouldn’t cross? Is there something I would not do?" People say, oh, the Democrats should be doing more. They should be fixing things. But if you want the Democrats to do things, you have to create the platform for them. You have to create the spectacle, the pageantry, the positive energy, the physical place where they can

(05:51) come to you. Poland recently went through a shift towards authoritarianism. Unlike in Russia, unlike in Hungary, the media remained a place, in Poland, where you could criticize the regime. And as a result, democracy returned. The moral of Poland is that our democratic institutions — the media, the university, and the courts — are essential. You know you’re living in a fascist society when you’re constantly going over in your head the reasons

(06:39) why you're safe. What we want is a country where none of us have to feel that way.

It doesn’t start with them kidnapping you.

It does not start with exile.

They don’t stuff the ballot boxes.

It starts with the government making hints.

It starts with overcomplicated red tape.

With the law.

With retribution.

Fake narratives and financial attacks.

Democracy and the rule of law are more fragile than Americans think.

Russia was banning writers.

I thought, “I’m not writing books.”

Then it was banning teachers.

And I thought, “OK, I’m not a teacher.”

This is the big mistake.

Because, of course, it came to me.

The first alarm we should have noticed was in 2001, when NTV, the independent channel, was taken over.

“Staff arriving for work were told their offices and studios were off limits unless they signed an oath of loyalty to NTV’s new managers.”

I remember how frustrated and angry we were.

We even went to the protest rally.

But then it was cold, and we had so many other independent TV channels, so we just went home and forgot about it.

My uncle, who until recently was prime minister of Singapore, had a pattern of using police investigations and criminal prosecutions to dispose of or exile his opponents.

There have been malicious prosecutions against two leaders of different opposition parties.

The Sandinista dictatorship in Nicaragua sees nonprofits as a threat, including mine.

We are focused on pro-democracy work, and that was unacceptable to the dictatorship.

In Hungary, the elimination of gender studies was the first step toward restricting academic freedom.

When it would be too obvious to prosecute someone for being an enemy of the state, you have to make something else up.

They came after us with the excuse that we had not submitted our financial reports.

They didn’t give us an opportunity to appeal.

I posted a private Facebook comment to my friends only, and the Singapore government went after me with a criminal prosecution.

“Attorney General’s Chambers has asked the High Court to fine Li Shengwu at least $15,000 if…”

The steps were gradual, and every one of them was unbelievable to me.

Looking back, it had been obvious that the government had been going in this direction, little speeches here, half sentences there.

“We have to revitalize our churches, our families, our universities.”

We thought, no way, they cannot cross that line.

Until 2020, when the Hungarian government forced my university to leave the country.

Vladimir Putin always has legal steps first.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed two controversial security bills into law.”

And then he does what he wants.

“They would designate certain journalists and bloggers as foreign agents.”

He was testing society.

“Would it be OK if I shut down just one channel, then maybe one radio station, one newspaper, one magazine?”

Our nonprofit was one of the first to be canceled by the Ortega regime.

Now, it’s over 3,500 nonprofits.

My television channel was declared a foreign agent.

I was declared a foreign agent.

I am blacklisted as an academic in Hungary.

I could never get a job.

The regime said I was a financier of terrorism and that it would be best if I left the country immediately.

I fled as soon as I could.

“Russia blocked its last independent TV channel, TV Rain. Those staffers remaining in the studio gathered for a farewell.”

We left Russia.

“I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States.”

If you’re used to living in a democratic society, you don’t expect a government to just close a university.

“I will fire the radical-left accreditors that have allowed our colleges to become dominated by Marxist maniacs and lunatics.”

Right now, there are no independent media outlets in Russia.

No freedom of speech.

“ABC, they’re the most dishonest news organization.”

My uncle took his personal lawyer and made that lawyer attorney general.

“President-elect Trump’s new pick for attorney general? Pam Bondi. She was also on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial.”

“I call my attorney general.

I say, ‘Listen, indict him.’

‘Well, he hasn’t done anything wrong.’

‘I don’t know, indict him on income tax evasion. You’ll figure it out.’”

I wish I had paid more attention to those flashes of authoritarianism.

We ignored it because the economy was doing well.

I should have known.

I’m a sociologist.

I blame myself.

You want to believe it’s not happening, because otherwise you might have to act.

Take your finances out of the country.

Avoid having a physical office.

They will seize your assets.

It is better to fight.

Every person unlawfully jailed or harmed is your business.

It is better to refuse than to give in and hope someone else will be the check and balance.

INDEX CARD SUMMARY OF THIS VIDEO

SUMMARY USING WORDS FOR REFERRING TO AN ARTICLE

This article argues that political-science research shows the United States may be moving away from liberal democracy toward a form of authoritarian rule. It highlights growing concerns among scholars that democratic norms and institutions are weakening. 

It demonstrates this by pointing to indicators such as attacks on legal protections, executive overreach, firing of federal workers, and policies that undercut civil liberties and checks and balances. These patterns match stages seen historically in countries experiencing democratic erosion. 

It seeks to alert readers to the seriousness of these trends by connecting them to broader research on how regimes transition from democracy to autocracy. The author draws on studies of other nations’ democratic backsliding to show that the process can be gradual and cumulative. 

It points out that scholars have identified specific steps already occurring in the United States, including social turmoil, political movements that reject democratic norms, and election victories that consolidate power, all of which can contribute to democratic weakening. 

It relies on academic work by political scientists and reports comparing U.S. developments with patterns seen in other countries’ shifts toward authoritarian governance. The article draws on published research and expert opinion to make its case. 

It mentions the current presidency (in office at the time of writing) as a key context for these changes and links contemporary actions to broader debates about democratic survival. 

It quotes political scientists who describe the depth and breadth of threats to civil liberties, political contestation, and separation of powers, framing these as hallmarks of democratic erosion.

SECOND EXAMPLE

The article’s main claim is that the United States may be moving away from democracy toward an authoritarian system. The author explains that this idea is not just an opinion but is based on political science research.

To support this claim, the article uses studies by political scientists who have analysed how democracies weaken in other countries. These researchers have identified warning signs such as attacks on institutions, reduced civil liberties, and leaders concentrating power.

The article explains that several of these warning signs can already be seen in the U.S., including challenges to the rule of law, pressure on elections, and political movements that reject democratic norms.

The author’s purpose is to warn readers that democratic decline often happens slowly and legally, not through sudden coups. By showing similarities with past cases in other countries, the article suggests that the situation should be taken seriously.

The article concludes that understanding these patterns is important because democracies do not collapse overnight. Citizens need to recognise early signs in order to protect democratic institutions.

Debate: “Is America Still Exceptional — or Are We Sliding Toward Fascism?”

👤 Elena – History professor, anti-authoritarian activist

“I study authoritarian regimes. I’ve seen the warning signs — and I see them now in the U.S. When a president threatens the press, disrespects the rule of law, and encourages violence, that’s not patriotism. That’s authoritarianism. We cannot keep telling ourselves ‘it can’t happen here.’ That’s what Germans said in the 1930s. America is not immune.”

🧢 Kyle – Proud MAGA voter, truck driver

“I’m not an expert, but I know what I feel. Under Trump, I could afford gas. I had work. He says what we think but can’t say. I don’t care about what some professor says about history — I care about today. If people want to leave, let ’em. We’re not becoming fascist, we’re just finally putting Americans first.”

On American Exceptionalism

Elena: “American exceptionalism has become a blinder. It keeps us from noticing when our institutions fail. People say, ‘We have checks and balances,’ like it’s a magic spell. But systems only work if people defend them.”

Kyle: “I believe in America. We’re different for a reason. We’ve helped the world more than any other country. Just because someone disagrees with how things are going doesn’t mean we’re collapsing.”

On the Role of Intellectuals and Students

Elena: “It’s our responsibility — teachers, students, artists — to speak out. When freedoms are threatened, silence is complicity. Some of us are leaving not to escape, but to keep fighting where it’s still safe.”

Kyle: “That sounds dramatic. Most Americans just want to get through the day. People like me don’t get heard unless someone like Trump gives us a voice. I’m tired of being told I’m part of the problem because I want my country to work for me.”

On Civil Liberties vs National Security

Elena: “Deporting people without trials, canceling visas over a student article — that’s not security. That’s fear. That’s power used to silence, not protect.”

Kyle: “Look, we need to feel safe. If someone’s breaking the law or hurting our country, they should be gone. It’s not about cruelty — it’s about order. You can’t run a country on feelings.”