Every now and then Americans face the question: “is America the greatest country on earth?”

Some may take this question to be rhetorical or one with no real answer, which is fair, because there are so many ways to define the “greatest country”—economically, socially, welfare-based, employment rates, military powers, and many many other metrics.

In a recent study by the Pew Research Center, roughly 52% of Americans say that the US is one of the greatest countries, among others. At the same time 20% say that the US is the greatest country, and 27% say that other countries are better.

Count me in with the 20%.

I honestly believe that America is the greatest country in the world.

Martin Luther King Jr. famously said in his “I Have a Dream” speech that he wished his children and others would be judged by the content of their character. I believe that America is the greatest country because of the content of its character—not because of our government, our economic standing, or our military prowess but because of our infallible American spirit, our everyday citizens that are the backbone of our nation, showing up on the daily and doing the jobs needed to keep this country running.

Our character was first defined and laid before us at the founding of our nation when the founding fathers built our foundation by establishing our constitutional rights, giving Americans liberties and freedoms not seen in any other nation at that time. As time went on, our Constitution has remained our foundation through thick and thin, and, although sometimes taken for granted, holds its place as the defining symbol of our American character.

Yes, things like militaristic power, economic standing, technological and medical advancements, etc. all give us an advantage logistically, but I believe that it’s the immeasurable aspects of our nation that set us apart.

Now, a beauty of America is that everyone has a constitutional right to believe whatever they want on this topic, or any topic of discussion for that matter, and shouldn’t that be taken into account when pondering over the question of America's superiority? We may never have a definitive answer; it may always be a topic of debate. Let’s keep it that way, because it means that we still have the freedom to have our own opinions.