Patriotism is commonly presented as a civic virtue, a shared attachment that can unite Americans across political, religious and racial divisions. But when love of country becomes a demand for unquestioning loyalty, it can also weaken the freedoms it is supposed to defend.
That tension is examined in historian Dominic Erdozain’s new book, “To Love a Country: The Problem of Patriotism in America.” Erdozain argues that American exceptionalism, the belief that the United States is a uniquely righteous nation with a special historical mission, has repeatedly provided moral cover for injustice at home and military intervention abroad.
The rhetoric of “America First” appeals to many people because it promises national strength, secure borders and policies that prioritize American workers. Supporters contend that national pride does not necessarily produce authoritarianism and can motivate citizens to serve their communities, defend constitutional government and demand better leadership.
The danger arises when political leaders equate themselves with the country, portray critics as disloyal and treat protest as an attack on the nation. Democratic patriotism depends on the opposite principle: Citizens must remain free to criticize presidents, challenge wars and expose failures without having their loyalty questioned.
Erdozain traces American exceptionalism partly to Puritan ideas of a chosen people and a “city upon a hill.” He argues that this tradition can make nationalism resistant to evidence, allowing defeats and policy failures, from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, to be blamed on insufficient commitment rather than mistaken assumptions.
But the book also proposes an alternative patriotism. Erdozain highlights Frederick Douglass, Jane Addams, William Lloyd Garrison and Martin Luther King Jr.—figures who confronted American injustice while appealing to the country’s unfulfilled promises.
Guest:
Dominic Erdozain is a historian and writer. He is the author of ”One Nation Under Guns” and “To Love a Country: The Problem of Patriotism in America.”
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