The Nation, Democratic Self-Government, and Liberalism: A Conservative View of Europe Today

The political thinkers at the vanguard of the European project have miscalculated. In attempting to weaken the political salience of national loyalty, they have undermined the only modern political structure—the nation-state—capable of securing individual rights. In contrast to Europe, the United States has successfully reconciled liberalism, with its defense of individual freedom, and a strong sense of nationhood that commands healthy political loyalty. As a result, Americans are better prepared to defend personal freedom in a variety of domestic and international contexts, from assimilating immigrants into the homeland to fighting liberty's enemies abroad.