Starting with a discussion of the religious dimension of national purpose in America, this article examines the concept of American civil religion and the emergence of individualism as a fundamental aspect of American identity. It then examines recent history, looking at two social revolutions that America has gone through in recent…

We examined civic engagement in middle childhood and the degree to which parents' civic beliefs (i.e., social trust and civic efficacy), civic participation, and socialization practices were associated with indicators of children's civic engagement (i.e., social responsibility and civic values). Survey data were collected from 359 racially,…