What is the American Idea?

For those regular readers of The Atlantic Monthly (Amy and Paul win in this category), this question comes as no surprise. It's quite good timing that it comes right as I'm beginning my Master's in American Studies. A lot of well-known people have been asked to write about it, and we are reading and discussing their answers. Tom Wolfe, of course, couldn't stick to the 300-word limit and ended up with a couple thousand words. These perspectives are so fascinatingly different (some even seem to come from people who didn't understand the question), but I am still struggling to come up with my own answer. That's right, we are turning in our own 200-word responses, due in the middle of November. Here is a list of some short excerpts for your enjoyment (even if you don't read them all, please scroll down to Tom Wolfe's at the very end, it is my favorite):

LIST