In your own words, how does too much emphasis on American exceptionalism hinder our understanding of American history?
Sounds like the teacher has already made up his/her mind that American exceptionalism has hindered our understanding of American history.
I told me daughter to say that we don't have enough emphasis on American exceptionalism.
The schools, K through post graduate I assume, need to be ridden of all these liberal Marxists.
American Exceptionalism is the reason we can sit in the best universities in the world and question the history of American Exceptionalism.
That's how I would answer it.