The winners of the “What Made America Great?” contest are Mike Marotta and Zenphamy. There were a number of thoughtful answers, so this was a tough call, and it came down to a tie. Both Mike and Zehphamy’s answers cited a number of factors, which I felt was the correct approach. America has been an amazing confluence of ideas and intellectual ferment; geography; the English tradition, notably its jurisprudence; a particular time in history; the Founding Fathers and the Declaration of Independence, Revolution and Constitution they bequeathed us, and the dreams, capabilities, drive, and hard work of those who came here and their progeny.

I liked Mike’s last line: “What made America great? Good fences!” It adds emphasis to his point that Americans used to mind there own business, which was considered a virtue, and that the government did not do much, also considered a virtue. Zenphamy’s emphasis on the people who came to America—“...those that didn’t fit, for those that didn’t inherit, and would dare”—recalls Emma Lazarus’s “The New Colossus,” at the base of the Statue of Liberty. America is indeed a land of people who did not fit in, who were looking for liberty and the opportunity to go as far as their abilities would take them.

Thank you everybody for taking the time and going to the trouble to submit answers. Mike and Zenphamy, send me a private message with your addresses and I will mail you signed copies of The Golden Pinnacle, my 786 page answer to my own question. If I can think of some more good questions, I’ll run some more contests, so you’ll probably get another shot if you didn’t win. Judging by the response to this contest, Galt’s Gulchers like offering their answers and opinions to provocative questions, which show that they are the kind of uncommonly intelligent, liberty-loving people that made America great.

Mike’s answer:

What made America great was no one thing, but a combination of factors developing through centuries. And which standard do you apply to "greatness"? Any anarcho-whatever will tell you all about Medieval Iceland, but millions of people did not seek their fortunes there. Moreover immigration to America was always constant and steady but accelerated after 1848 when it was clear that political freedom - democratic capitalism - would not come to Europe.

But, you have to contrast that with Japan. The Japanese proved able to pivot their culture on a single point of tradition. When Perry opened the doors, they kicked out the shogun and opened up to industrialism. After World War Two they out-America-ed American industrial methods. I do not just mean Demming, but the weakness of the Japanese military-industrial complex versus America's crypto-Nazi worship of weaponry. But no one emigrates to Japan to make their fortune. They come to America.

I think that the essential statement came in "Atlas Shrugged" when the anonymous workman (presumably Owen Kellogg) told Mr. Mowen that firms are moving to Colorado because of what they DON'T have.

The key to Galt's Motor was "do nothing."

Read any constitution from any of 180+ nations and maybe 500 subdivisions. They all promise rights and liberties in glorious and flowery words. But who delivers? The US... Canada... a few more... How? By doing nothing: by not interfering.

What made American great? Nothing! Laissez faire! Let it go. It is not your problem. Mind your business. Mind your OWN business. Go into business for yourself and mind that. Never mind your neighbors or their religion or how they raise their kids.

What made American great? Good fences!

Zenphamy’s answer:

A certain type of man from Northwest Europe that didn't like having to bow his head,
That didn't trust those who counted themselves his better to do right by him and his family for their sustenance,
An available location to move to with space for those that didn't fit, for those that didn't inherit, and that would dare,
The freedom and space to move away from,
A community of trader values that accepted that a man could fail then try again - to make money, and a man's earned wealth was his own,
A system of law that protected an individual's property and his right to protect that property and defend himself anywhere at anytime,
Law and a court that was available and affordable to any man locally,
So much to do that there was nothing extra to spend on other's affairs,
A time of enlightenment in the relationship between a man and his government,
And a century of being left alone by other countries.

I cited only the first half of Zenphamy’s answer, because the second part dealt with what has damaged or weakened America’s greatness.