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Political Culture in America
• Definition – distinctive and patterned way of thinking
about how political and economic life should be
carried out
– Economics are part of it because politics affect economics
• Americans believe in political equality, but not
economic equality
• 5 elements to Americas view of the political
system:
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Liberty
Equality
Democracy
Civic duty
Individual responsibility
• Most believe that all citizens should have an equal
chance to influence gov’t policy or hold office
• Three questions about political culture:
– 1. How do we know we share these beliefs?
• Look at the books we read, speeches we hear,
political choices we make, polls, etc.
– 2. If these values are important how can we explain
that there is behavior that is inconsistent with them?
• Fact – we often act contrary to our beliefs
• example – we believe in honesty, but lie on taxes
• Self-interest and social circumstances affect our
behavior
• Behavior slowly changes
– 3. If there are agreements among us on certain
political values, why has there been such conflict in
our history?
• Conflict can occur over specific policies among
those who share common beliefs
• Much of our conflict occurred because we have
strong beliefs that are in conflict with each other
• Example: equal opportunity seems attractive, but
sometimes it can be pursued only by limiting
personal liberty (another good quality)
• Civil war was partly fought over that – rights of
slaves v. rights of slaveowners
Economic System in America
• Liberty is important in our economics also
• We believe in a free-enterprise system
– We believe it is fair and does not survive by keeping
down the poor
• There are limits, however, to how much freedom
should exist in the marketplace
• Most people support gov’t regulation of business
to keep them from becoming too powerful and to
correct certain problems (like pollution)
• We believe in “equality of opportunity” but not
“equality of results”
• In other words; if we all have the same
opportunities, it is okay for those with more
ability and who work harder to earn more
• Liberal political groups are more willing to support
preferential treatment in hiring and promoting minorities
and women
– They believe the failures they face are the fault of the economic
system rather than personal faults
– But they still believe wages should be based on ability and don’t
have a top limit on wages
• Polls show that we are willing to help people “truly in
need” (old and disabled), but not those that can “take
care of themselves”
• Today, more Americans believe the government should
help the needy and regulate business
Political Culture in Other Nations
• Political system:
– Sweden: good democracy, constitution, free speech,
elected legislature, voting, etc.
• However, most leave everything up to the
government and rarely challenge their decisions
– Americans are contentious – Swedes like harmony
• Japan values the following:
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Getting along with colleagues
Group decisions
Social harmony
Respect for hierarchy
Stress being sensitive to the personal needs of others
Avoid conflict
US and Japan very different even though they are both
capitalist and industrialized
• Americans have a stronger sense of civic duty and civic
competence
– Most believe people should be active in their community
– Most believe people should “do something” about laws or
regulations that are unjust
• However, we are behind many other nations in voting
• The Economic System:
– Sweden more likely to give workers equal pay
– Also putting a top limit on incomes
– Most Americans don’t believe that the gov’t should
guarantee citizens a basic standard of living
Religion & Politics
• Always been closely linked in America
• Both liberals and conservatives have used it to
promote change
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Great Awakening 1730’s-1740’s
Civil Rights Mov’t 1950’s-1960’s
Moral Majority 1980’s
Christian Coalition 1990’s
• Most candidates for national office in other
democracies don’t mention religion – not US
• 80% of Americans support gov’t funding for faith
based social programs
• Will probably shape our political culture for many
future generation
The Culture War
• A lot of cultural conflict exists in politics
• Two cultural classes locked in a war over values:
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Pro-abortion vs. anti-abortion
Pro-gay rights vs. anti-gay rights
Do legalize drugs vs. don’t legalize drugs
School prayer vs. no school prayer
• Often these disputes are worse than that over
taxes, foreign policy, etc.
– Compromises are almost impossible
• The two opposing views:
– 1. Orthodox:
• Believe that morality is as important or more
important than self expression
• Morals come from God
• Most conspicuous are the fundamentalist
Protestants and evangelical Christians (the
Religious Right)
• However, most are just people who have strong
moral views
– 2. Progressive
• Those who believe personal freedom is as important or
more important than certain traditional morals
• Those morals must be evaluated in lights of the
circumstances of modern life
• Most conspicuous are the liberal Protestant
denominations like Episcopalians and Unitarians and
people with no strong religious beliefs
• Many denounce them as immoral, anti-Christian radicals
• However, most are NOT immoral or anti-Christian
Political Efficacy
• Big decline in the extent to which citizens feel the
political system will respond to their needs and beliefs
• This a political efficacy = a citizen’s capacity to
understand and influence political events.
– Two parts:
• 1. internal efficacy = the ability to understand and take
part in political affairs
– This hasn’t changed much
• 2. external efficacy = the ability to make the
system respond to the citizenry
• Since the mid-1960’s there has been a big drop
• Many believe the gov’t has become to large for it
to be sensitive to citizens preferences
Political Tolerance
• Public opinion surveys show that an
overwhelming majority of Americans agree with
concepts like freedom of speech, majority rule,
right to circulate petitions – in broad terms
• However, when we break it down, many
Americans are not tolerant of groups they dislike
• Which of the following would you NOT want to
have a meeting:
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Protestants holding a revival meeting
Right –to-life groups opposing abortion
People protesting a nuclear power plant.
Gays organizing a homosexual rights protest
Atheists preaching against God.
The KKK marching through a town square
The map shows 2004 presidential race, the
Republican counties in Red, and the
Democratic counties in Blue. Most of rural
America voted Republican, while urban
areas tended to vote Democratic.
Republicans tend to be more conservative
with traditional religious values than
Democratic voters who lean toward more
liberal ideas.
Political Socialization
• Is the process by which citizens acquire a sense of
political identity
• It begins in childhood and continues throughout life
• People are exposed to a combination of influences
that shape their political identities and opinions:
– Family and home influences (stronger when both
parents are the same political party)
– Schools teach patriotism and basic gov’t
– Group affiliations provide common bonds
– Demographic factors
– Mass media
– Opinion leaders
– Events that instill positive or negative attitudes
Public Opinion
• Collection of shared attitudes of many different
people
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Shaped by political culture and political socialization
Can be analyzed according to distribution (graphs)
Also by intensity
And stability (how much opinions change over time)
• Best way to measure public opinion is by a poll
– Businesses, governments, candidates, and interest
groups use them
– Early polls in US were straw polls – asking the same
question of many people
• Unreliable because they didn’t often include a
cross section of the general population
• Modern polling began in the 1930’s
• George Gallup helped develop a scientific polling
process that includes:
– Sampling – participants must be a good cross section and
random
– Preparing valid questions – don’t lead the respondent
– Controlling how the poll is taken – make sure they have
some knowledge of issues – phone, mail, in person
– Analyzing and reporting results
Ideology
• An ideology is a consistent set of beliefs
• A political ideology is a set of beliefs about
politics and policy
– Can change over time
– Differences usually occur in the areas of political,
economic and social issues
• Types of ideology:
– Radical – wants rapid, fundamental change, might
resort to extreme measures, violence or revolution
– Liberal – wants active government in promoting
welfare, civil rights, accepts peaceful political and
social change
– Moderate – falls between liberal and conservative
and may include some of both, usually tolerant of
others’ opinions
– Conservative – wants limited gov’t in helping
individuals, traditional values and lifestyle, national
security, cautious changes
– Reactionary – wants a return to previous state of
affairs, may be willing to go to extremes