The myth of exceptionalism

The US and the UK both think of themselves – and each other – as exceptional nations. In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, however, they have both been badly hit – and criticised for their slow response. Have they been caught out by the idea that things like this don’t happen to them – and, if they do, that they will cope on their own terms, in their own way? Andrew Mueller is joined by George Parker and Amy Pope, and Alex von Tunzelman outlines the history of exceptionalism.