For the 2016 presidential election: Deep insights into the political culture of the USA. Bill of Rights, Civil Rights Movement, the right to bear arms, or freedom of speech: The idea of political rights holds an almost sacred position in the USA, which is hardly comparable to its status in Europe and often leads to different political assessments. Through her examination of the idea of political rights, Shklar reconstructs the development of independent political thought and the political culture of North America. Furthermore, the rights reveal an institution that allows her concept of the liberalism of fear, as a means of avoiding evils, to be positively complemented and socially anchored. Thus, Shklar not only provides us with a lesson in transatlantic exchange but also offers a critical perspective on the self-understanding of our political institutions.