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American Exceptionalism

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Abstract

‘American exceptionalism’ refers to significant differences between the United States and Western Europe, first identified by European commentators in the 19th century, including the circumstances surrounding the founding and settlement of the United States, as well as a concept of nationhood based on immigration rather than a shared history. Economists have contributed in important ways to the documentation and evaluation of exceptionalism’s economic effects. One important example of this research is on contemporary differences in social policy between the United States and Western Europe.

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Keely, L.C. (2018). American Exceptionalism. In: The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95189-5_1947

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