It has been almost 250 years since the establishment of the United States of America. Historically, this period is relatively short for a country that has achieved global preeminence in power and influence.

Naturally, one may wonder about the reasons that have made America so quickly and undeniably the superpower of our time. The question may not be difficult to answer if one considers political, military, and economic power.

The geopolitical position of the United States also essentially makes it invulnerable to external threats. Its political system, grounded by democratic principles and inspired by the light of the universal values of the human spirit from Greek antiquity to the present day, makes the American Republic an example of governance.

Alexis de Tocqueville had early on highlighted the virtues of the American political model. The political, economic, technological, and consequently military superiority of the United States is therefore the obvious reason for its progress and its dominant global political presence.

However, one may wonder what justifies the often substantial influence of elements of the American way of life even in countries with long and rich cultural heritages such as France, Italy – almost all of Europe – and many other countries.

From hamburgers and jeans to movie westerns and American cinema in general to pop music, American influence of this kind competes with local customs of daily life despite the frequent but futile attempts of many societies to resist and reduce it.

Those with various professional or personal experiences in countries of the Soviet bloc will certainly remember how popular everything American was despite the intense ideological and often coercive reaction of communist regimes.

Today, countries with advanced and diverse cultural life often find themselves unable to compete with the ‘superficial American culture’ in terms of influence, especially among the youth, despite their own noteworthy traditions and practices.

Political, economic, scientific, or technological reasons alone cannot explain this phenomenon. However, if we try, without heavy-handed analyses, to understand the issue, we will perceive in American life evident originality, dynamism, simplicity, straightforwardness, a more casual approach to life – characteristics that directly appeal to the psychology and preferences of many.

Some among the critics of American cultural influence often point out its – in their view – lack of sophistication and subtlety, and judge that American life often prevails with pedestrian, simplistic, sometimes even crude elements.

Nevertheless, in response to such a negative view, if it is in good faith and not dictated by political antagonism, the counterargument can be made that the strength of the American way of life lies precisely in its simplicity, lack of unnecessary sophistication in expression and practice, and its originality and authenticity, which facilitate adaptability and influence.

In general, it could therefore be noted that individuals as well as whole societies, rather than being critically positioned towards foreign cultural influences – in this particular case towards the American way of life – might find it more practical to protect their customs and traditions through creative and productive coexistence with foreign cultural influences, benefiting from those elements that make them dynamic and powerful.