This book explores the constructs of collectivism and individualism and the wide-ranging implications of individualism and collectivism for political, social, religious, and economic life, drawing on examples from Japan, Sweden, China, Greece, Russia, the United States, and other countries.

"A comprehensive look at the foundations, and current state of individualism in the US, including an assessment of the implications for American democracy and citizenship"--

Today, American "rugged individualism" is in a fight for its life on two battlegrounds: in the policy realm and in the intellectual world of ideas that may lead to new policies. In this book, the authors look at the political context in which rugged individualism flourishes or declines and offer a balanced assessment of its future prospects. They outline its path from its founding—marked by the Declaration of Independence—to today, focusing on different periods in our history when rugged individualism was thriving or was under attack. The authors ultimately look with some optimism toward new frontiers of the twenty-first century that may nourish rugged individualism. They assert that we cannot tip the delicate balance between equality and liberty so heavily in favor of equality that there is no liberty left for individual Americans to enjoy. In considering reasons to be pessimistic as well as reasons to be optimistic about it, they also suggest where supporters of rugged individualism might focus greater encouragement and resources.

In this book, Hoover expounds and vigorously defends what has come to be called American exceptionalism: the set of beliefs and values that still makes America unique. He argues that America can make steady, sure progress if we preserve our individualism, preserve and stimulate the initiative of our people, insist on and maintain the safeguards to equality of opportunity, and honor service as a part of our national character.

Rugged Individualism and the Misunderstanding of American Inequalityexplores and critiques the widespread perception in the United States that one’s success or failure in life is largely the result of personal choices and individual characteristics. As the authors show, the distinctively individualist ideology of American politics and culture shapes attitudes toward poverty and economic inequality in profound ways, fostering social policies that de-emphasize structural remedies. Drawing on a variety of unique methodologies, the book synthesizes data from large-scale surveys of the American population, and it features both conversations with academic experts and interviews with American citizens intimately familiar with the consequences of economic disadvantage. This mixture of approaches gives readers a fuller understanding of “skeptical altruism,” a concept the authors use to describe the American public’s hesitancy to adopt a more robust and structurally-oriented approach to solving the persistent problem of economic disadvantage.

Daniel Bromley offers a fundamental critique of contemporary capitalism to explain why the world now finds itself in widespread disorder. The basic flaw, he argues, is the triumph of a culture of possessive individualism. As a result, capitalism is no longer an engine of improved livelihoods and social hope. Bromley explains that escape from this disorder requires that the private firm be reimagined as a public trust whose purpose is to offer plausible livelihoods as it also serves our acquisitive wants. However, the possessive individual also bears urgent responsibilities. We must renew the idea of loyalty to others-whether neighbors, fellow workers, or society at large.