Читать книгу American Democracy in Context - Joseph A. Pika - Страница 38

Fairness, individualism, belief in the rule of law, and religion are all basic American values, but this does not mean that every American holds these four values equally nor does it mean that every American views each of the values in the same way.

Sometimes values conflict with each other. Should the government set limits to executives’ pay (fairness) or should they leave each executive free to earn whatever the market will bear (individualism)? Should homeowners have to build structures pleasing to their neighbors (fairness) or should they be free to build whatever they want, no matter how bizarre (individualism)? Should prayer be required in the schools (religion) despite the Constitution’s ban on the government establishing a religion (rule of law)? Such conflicts between values form the underlying basis of American ideologies.