Though America may be in a rut, Heritage Foundation president Ed Feulner has an optimistic Fourth of July message for you: We’re still exceptional.

“America is exceptional because as immigrants from 194 countries over the years, we have shown it is the only place where you can come and start off with a clean slate,” he told The Daily Caller in an interview about his new book, “The American Spirit: Celebrating the Virtues and Values that Make us Great,” co-authored with Brian Tracy.

“In effect, you can define your own future. You can be whatever is possible as long as you are willing to work hard for it and make it happen on your own behalf. You are not automatically cast into a class system or a certain level of society which you can’t rise out of. You can really make a difference.”

“In short, America is not just a place: It is an idea.”

Asked whether he thinks President Obama believes in American exceptionalism the way he defines it, Feulner said “no.”

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