What does it mean to be an American?

Is it constitutional principles and ideals? Is it democratic values?

What things do you think unite Americans? What defines them?

In “Joe Biden: Reclaiming America’s Values,” Joe Biden writes:

Reclaiming our values starts with standing up for them at home — inclusivity, tolerance, diversity, respect for the rule of law, freedom of speech, freedom of the press. If these are the democratic principles we wish to see around the world, America must be the first to model them. These are also the values that tie us to our closest allies — the friends we depend on to address major global challenges. They must believe that the United States will continue to support them and to stand up for democracy. Leading with our values also means that we speak out when nations violate their citizens’ rights. If leaders repress their own people, we must make clear that it constrains our ability to cooperate with them. We can meet our security imperatives without giving a green light to dictators who abuse universal human rights. Finally, a foreign policy built on our values must stand firm against foreign powers that celebrate a perceived withdrawal of American leadership as an opportunity to increase their influence. Without the United States standing as a bulwark for global democracy, illiberal powers like Russia will take increasingly aggressive steps to disrupt the international order, bully their neighbors and return to a more divided world. From the Marshall Plan after World War II to our alliances in East Asia, both Republican and Democratic officials have long embraced a vision of American leadership that fosters a more secure, inclusive and generous planet. That ideal made the world safer and more prosperous — for Americans and everyone else. The international community still needs a strong, democratic America leading the way. And the good news is that the United States remains better positioned than any other country to shape the direction of the 21st century. But to succeed, we cannot abandon the tenets that we fought so hard to defend over the past seven decades — ideals that magnified American leadership and produced the greatest increase in global prosperity in history. You cannot define Americans by what they look like, where they come from, whom they love or how they worship. Only our democratic values define us. And if we lose sight of this in our conduct at home or abroad, we jeopardize the respect that has made the United States the greatest nation on earth.

Students: Read the entire Op-Ed, then tell us:

— Do you agree with Mr. Biden when he says, “You cannot define Americans by what they look like, where they come from, whom they love or how they worship. Only our democratic values define us. And if we lose sight of this in our conduct at home or abroad, we jeopardize the respect that has made the United States the greatest nation on earth.” Why or why not?

— Did reading this change any of the initial answers you gave to the questions we ask at the top of this piece? If so, how?

— What do American values mean to you?

— Read the top 10 Readers Picks comments in the comment section of the article. Do any stand out for you? If so, which ones, and why?