Ken Masugi: The Debate Over an American Ideal

THOSE FIVE FAMOUS WORDS FROM THE DECLARATION OF Independence sound simple enough: all men are created equal. For nearly 250 years, the U.S. has leaned on that founding proposition. In theory, its meaning is clear. In practice, battles have raged—sometimes literally—over what it means, not just for American government but for American life in general.

The false simplicity of the “self-evident” truth has led to divergent attitudes toward that fundamental proposition. Today,