Student Question
How was Imperialism inconsistent with basic American Principles?
Quick answer:
Imperialism conflicted with American principles like popular sovereignty and individual rights. It disregarded the right of people to choose their government, imposing control without consent, contradicting the idea of "government of the people, by the people, for the people." Imperialism also violated individual rights, such as free expression and due process, and suppressed dissent, which are cornerstone American values reflected in foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
If we examine a sample of fundamental American principles, we can see that the practice of Imperialism is one fraught with inconsistencies. For example, the principle of popular sovereignty, the right of the people to voice their opinion about the nature of government, is something discarded in Imperialism, whose forceful and direct control of nations paid no heed to such an idea. Imperialism carries with it the notion that "certain people were destined to be ruled by others, an idea that, at its essence, negates the American principle of popular sovereignty. Another American principle vitiated with Imperialist practices is individual rights, the belief that there are some inalienable and fundamental notions of the good that individuals can use as a protectorate shield from government encroachment. These rights such as the right to free expression and the right to fairness in the forms of legal due process are violated with imperialist...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
practices, which usurp individual notions of expression and due process with their own senses of authority, power, and conceptions of right/ wrong. For example, when Imperialist practices compelled America to overtake Latin American nations, there was not a discourse to ask indigenous people what kind of government or legal system they desired, but rather an imposition of what was deemed to be right without discussion from others. Such an imposition causes a natural rebellion or dissent with current practices, revealing another principle of American thought that is denied with Imperialism. The idea of dissenting from power based practices is a time honored tradition in American intellectual history. From the Framers' conception of the idea that citizens have an obligation or duty to speak out against governmental abuses of power to the Declaration of Independence and Constitutional Government, dissent and seeking to refine government so that it is reflective "of the people, for the people, and by the people," is representative of an essential for Republicanism in America. Yet, Imperialist take over and usurpation of nations does not allow this notion to develop, as American control of nations did not allow for dialogue or dissent, which was usually met with force and crushed out of the discussion.