Concern for civic virtue was assumed to be the American way and this virtue would be reflected in governmental actions, private collective efforts, and individual behavior. Government was premised on the active consent of the governed, with the right of revolution against civil authority, the right of self-determination, rooted in a higher law of conscience, as opposed to the lesser, more mundane civil laws of society. It was to be a measured part of, rather than the exclusive feature of, a value-rich culture. There is always a tension in a society such as ours that is based on firmly held ethical and religious values but which protects diversity of thought as a fundamental right. Transforming this tension into positive political energy is the genius of our Constitutional system.
Process is our most important product.
Reinhold Niebuhr once commented that the temper and the integrity with which the political fight is waged is more important for the health of our society than the outcome of any issue. This is true in the broader aspects of our culture as well as in our government. In the Christian tradition, the greatest advice columns ever written may well date back to the first surviving writings of the early church, the letters of Paul. Of particular note is the one he wrote from prison to the Philippians. As social change quickens, the need for individuals to slow down and set aside time to reflect on the basics increases.