American values are a tricky thing. It seems that the value set changes with each individual. "American pragmatism is actually rooted in deeply held anti-authoritarian, individualistic, egalitarian, activist ideals, which privilege personal choice, flexibility, and technical efficiency with the pursuit of success, however success is defined." (Hall, Lindholm, pg. 91) Basically, an individual's values are what that individual decides they are. The key to understanding this is realizing that above almost all else, Americans prize, value, …showed first 75 words of 2744 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2744 total…one foot firmly planted in each. It is compromise, it is American. Bibliography Bibliography Hall, John A. & Lindholm, Charles. Is America Breaking Apart?. Princeton University Press. 1999. Henslin, James M. Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. Allyn and Bacon. 2000. Lipset, S.M. American Exceptionalism: A Double Edged Sword. New York: Norton Press. 1996. Mills, C. Wright. "The Promise." The Sociological Imagination. Oxford University Press. 1959. 1987. (Anthologized by Henslin, James M. in Down to Earth Sociology. Allyn and Bacon. 2000.)