Question

george w. bush: second inaugural address
george w. bush
thursday, january 20, 2005

• on the day prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, we celebrate the durable wisdom of our constitution, and recall the deep commitments that unite our country. i am grateful for the honor of this hour, mindful of the consequential times in which we live, and determined to fulfill the oath that i have sworn and you have witnessed.
• at this second gathering, our duties are defined not by the words i use, but by the history we have seen together. for a half a century, america defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. after the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical—and then there came a day of fire.
• we have seen our vulnerability—and we have seen its deepest source. for as long as whole regions of the world simmer in resentment and tyranny—prone to ideologies that feed hatred and excuse murder—violence will gather, and multiply in destructive power, and cross the most defended borders, and raise a mortal threat. there is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom.
• we are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion. the survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. the best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world.
• americas vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one. from the day of our founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the maker of heaven and earth. across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self - government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. advancing these ideals is the mission that created our nation. it is the honorable achievement of our fathers. now it is the urgent requirement of our nations security, and the calling of our time.
• so it is the policy of the united states to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world
• what point of view does bush adopt regarding the universality of american values?

a american values are specific to the u.s. and should not be imposed on others
b american values are outdated and need revision.
c american values are universal and should be promoted globally
d american values are secondary to economic interests.

Explanation:

To determine Bush's view on the universality of American values, we analyze the text:

• Phrases like "every man and woman on this earth has rights...", "the survival of liberty at our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands", and "seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture" indicate he believes American values (like liberty, self - government) are universal and should be promoted globally.
• Option A is incorrect as the text shows a push for promoting these values globally, not keeping them within the US.
• Option B is incorrect as the text upholds American values (like liberty, self - government) as important and worth promoting, not outdated.
• Option D is incorrect as the text focuses on the promotion of values like liberty and democracy, not on economic interests being primary.

Answer:

C. American values are universal and should be promoted globally