The idea of an exceptional America remains controversial. In this dazzlingly comprehensive collection of essays, some of the nation's best scholars and thinkers take on the weighty task of sizing up Goliath in a way Americans and others can comprehend. These twenty studies in American exceptionalism provide a solidly researched and in-depth analysis on the current state of our institutions, our values, and our challenges for the future.

Peter H. Schuck is the Simeon E. Baldwin Professor of Law at Yale Law School. He is the author of several books.
James Q. Wilson, a former president of the American Political Science Association, and a former professor at Harvard and UCLA. He was decorated with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award.