The American Way Of Life Summary

While the American Dream of the post-war ‘40s and ‘50s was the same core ideology as the American Dream had always been, it expanded its previous definitions to include a uniform “American Way of Life”. Will Herberg argues that the true common religion in the United States is not western monotheism but this way of life that we have. He cites the fact that a majority of people at this time don’t let their religious beliefs affect their decisions about politics and society . He infers that there must be another force behind the country’s unity and it is our way of life. This way was more linear in definition than in the past and was reinforced by the pressure that the Cold War produced. Popular media reflected the conformism that was prevalent

in society at the time. This way of life emphasized consumerism over political involvement and economic independence. With the rise income and the abilities of technology, many Americans felt there standard of living go up and the independence that is so important to Americans was exercised in entertainment and activities. Vice President Richard Nixon gave a speech in Moscow with the opening of an exhibit to show American life to the Russian people. In this speech he highlights the ability of American’s to acquire many luxuries through consumerism. With the start of the Cold War and the battle for the hearts of the rest of the world, the pressure to have a society without much dissent was high. McCarthyism and propaganda to spread fear of communism’s ability to recruit stopped many critiques of the country that would have been there before. This stifling of democracy is a cause that led to less involvement in politics for the average American.