... Americans are generally known as being good citizens. ... The principle in question is ownership. ... Again, the word "my" implies a strong feeling - and I would argure in this case, a feeling of ownership. ... I believe that the Anglo-American tradition provides a strong basis for a sense of "public ownership". ... This sense of being a shareholder gives the American the feeling of being entitled to make use of public spaces, and also of having the responsibility to keep the public spaces clean. ...