Ask a teacher in the US, why don't you?
I must add this caveat: In spite of what certain others may say, the educational system has little impact on the opinions of most children towards America (and I DEEPLY RESENT anyone who accuses me of trying to influence children to my own way of thinking...I take such charges as a PERSONAL INSULT). Many of my students come into my class with a mixed view of the country. This view is somewhat well deserved, they being inner city youths (as Chris Rock said, "To black people, America is like your uncle who paid for your college...but he also molested you.").
The media tends to reflect the upper middle class view that America does little wrong, and that in case of emergency, is in the right. More than anything, it shows a pro-business bias, as evidenced by CNN and Fox News devoting hours of time and CNBC an entire chanell to business and investment shows, but not one show dealing with labor concerns (largely due to the fact that the major media outlets are cogs in multinational corporate machines. This is somewhat disturbing to most, but I will cast aside my pro-labor angst to enjoy Disney's Monday Night Football and NewsCorp's The Simpsons.).
In the classroom, Americans have a great desire for "local control" of schools. This, in its purest form, means that Students in Rural Oklahoma can have daily prayer meetings that promote one religion over the other, while some school on the left coast ban playground games like tag as too competitive. It also means that there is no uniformity of teaching. most teachers tend to be products of their area, so the prevailing national and world view of the U.S. reflects those of the controlling school board, elected by local residents, who set the curicculum.
However, the Teachers (that's me) actually implement it. What's more, I have only occasional direct supervision of my classroom delivery (as it should be. a constant review and presence of administrators would make a distracting learning environment for our students. Leave me alone to teach, I say.) Therefore, much of what goes on in my class room stays there. I have had few complaints from parents, mostly becuase I follow district curriculum (which is Texas-centric for the national view...students are tested as the the four presidents from Texas) and my students test scores rose 26% percent from my first year of teaching to my second.
I urge students to formulate their own opinions but will cut them down without mercy if they can't back it up. I also teach them how too do just that. Arguing in my class is allowed. In fact, it's encouraged, As I treasure debate (REAL debate...not the Crossfire/O'Reilly Factor kind. Anyone who shouts down an opponent with a "Shut up! Just shut up!" "F&$^ You!" or "Shove it!" faces the music.)
And as we know, History is full of debateable topics.
As I review a part of history, I constantly ask students to speculate what could have happened, what the U.S. could or should have done differently, and how it affects us, the different groups of our country and the world today.
The effect is usually that a student understands that America has been a force of good for a great deal of the 20th centruy, especially when their goals were for the benefit of their neighbors, and that most mistakes of the past made have either been corrected or are beign rectified. They also become completely aware that they have the power to organize and contribute to effecting change in society, as evidenced by the multiple times in history (Abolition, Prohibition, Progressivism, Civil Rights, Vietnam, Conservativism) where large groups pushed for change from outside the government.
Not to say that all my colleages strive for my attempted fairness. One teacher told her students that the U.S. should electrify the Rio Grande to keep Mexicans out (This being a school that is 90% hispanic, I applaud her unmitigated gall), another displays right-wing "Mallard Fillmore" cartoons, and another wants to torch the confederate flag on Martin Luther King's birthday on live TV (the latter would be me).
Badger, of the Teaching class.