Analysis On Lipset’s Thoughts About American Exceptionalism

Seymour Martin Lipset, was born on March18,1922, in New York. He graduated fromCity College of New York, where he was an active Socialist, and later received a doctorate insociology from Columbia University. During an exceptionally productive career, he taught atUniversity of California, Berkeley, Harvard University and Stanford University. He was theonly person to have been president of both the American Sociological Association and theAmerican Political Science Association. His research in sociology and politics had profoundinfluence in American political field. Lipset’s theory mainly consists of two parts: On onehand, he analyses on American exceptionalism and American socialism. On the other hand,Since1960s, he has done lots of research in economic and social changes of the industrialsociety and post-industrial society. It should be noticed that Lispet spend most time inanalysing American exceptionalism and American socialism. In2000, he published his mostfamous work, It Didn’t Happen Here: Why Socialism Failed in the United States, in which hegave a comprehensive analysis of American exceptionalism.Based on the above work, this study illustrates Lipset’s "American exceptionalism" fromthe following aspects. In chapter one, the paper begins with the research rationale,significance, research methods and the introduction of the research fruits of foreign anddomestic scholars in recent decades. Chapter Two is the main part of the paper which consistsof four parts. First, the introduction of Lipset’s life and the historical background andtheoretical framework which form his "American exceptionalism". Second, the content of"American exceptionalism". It includes American in the new society, small differences inAmerican classes, Americanism and democratic political system. Third, effective factorswhich influence the socialist failure in American are analysed. In the American politicalsystem, election of majorities and presidential system seriously limit the development ofSocialist party.And the division between Socialist parties and American Federation of Laborhas disastrous impact on Socialist parties. It not only seriously weakens the party’sorganizational force, resource base and American workers’ class consciousness, but alsoaffects the ideology of political parties to adopt more realistic policies. In America,multi-ethnic society, immigration, religion lead to the diversification of American working class. Individualism and anti-centralism in American values offset the attractiveness ofsocialism American workers. Fourth, through a detailed analysis of his thought, this studyintends to find the rationality and limitations of Lipset’s American exceptionalism so as tounderstand the direction of American political parties and social development better. Lipsetrealizes that only if the third political party based on socialist parties proposes some majorissues to be a challenge which the two major political parties or one of the two politicalparties can accept their rationalization proposals to attract the voters so that the third partylose the existing reason, the development of Democrats and Republicans can keep up pacewith the times. American democracy is democracy with American characteristics. It is suitablefor the historical conditions and circumstances in USA. So it’s accpeted by American peopleand will exist for a long time. However, the disadvantage is that Lipset ’s definition is unclearbecause of his US position.This study makes a deep analysis on "American exceptionalism". It not only conducts athorough investigation for American Socialist Party and the two-party system, but also makesa comprehensive illustration of American cultural values on which it forms the writer’sstandpoint.