American exceptionalism: Other democracies don't have to deal with shutdowns and debt ceiling fights

There is something rotten at the core of American democracy, and the fault lines are increasingly being exposed now that one of the two major political parties has gone completely off the rails and proven incapable of governing. You’ve probably heard the term “American exceptionalism”—it’s a belief, often espoused by the right, that the United States is morally superior and holds a special place in the world as a role model for other nations in constructing their own democratic societies.

But do other democracies view the United States as a role model these days? Absolutely not. That’s because other democracies do not have to deal with recurring problems such as raising the debt ceiling or averting government shutdowns which threaten a global financial meltdown. And there’s no other country where a single senator can put a hold on hundreds of military promotions as Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville has done due to archaic Senate rules.

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