Who Counts as an American?
The Boundaries of National Identity

This book develops a social theory of national identity and uses methods to examine the importance of identity in the American context.

Elizabeth Theiss-Morse (Author)

9780521756952, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 27 July 2009

242 pages, 16 b/w illus. 11 tables
22.6 x 15 x 1.5 cm, 0.3 kg

"This is an excellent book and should be read by anyone interested in better understanding the political dynamics of American national identity."
Political Science Quarterly, Ronald Schmidt, California State University- Long Beach.

Why is national identity such a potent force in people's lives? And is the force positive or negative? In this thoughtful and provocative book, Elizabeth Theiss-Morse develops a social theory of national identity and uses a national survey, focus groups, and experiments to answer these important questions in the American context. Her results show that the combination of group commitment and the setting of exclusive boundaries on the national group affects how people behave toward their fellow Americans. Strong identifiers care a great deal about their national group. They want to help and to be loyal to their fellow Americans. By limiting who counts as an American, though, these strong identifiers place serious limits on who benefits from their pro-group behavior. Help and loyalty are offered only to 'true Americans,' not Americans who do not count and who are pushed to the periphery of the national group.

1. The need for a social theory of national identity
2. Commitment to the national group
3. The setting of national group boundaries
4. The desire to help the national group
5. Loyalty in the face of criticism
6. Is national identity good or bad?
Appendix.

Subject Areas: Comparative politics [JPB], Politics & government [JP], Sociology [JHB]