On the positive side, both Romans and Americans share a pragmatic view of life. Unlike the ancient Greeks, the Romans did not make many contributions to philosophy or the arts. They were expert engineers. They built roads to unite the empire and many Roman aqueducts are still standing. Roman contributions to law are still on the books. The Roman Republic, while it lasted, was the first example of large scale representative government.
Americans also are highly pragmatic. Until recently, we have not made many contributions to science. Americans were great inventors, exemplified by Edison and Bell. The great American contribution to philosophy is the pragmatism of Pierce, James and Dewey.