American Political Culture

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Chapter Four

Culture

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Politically, there are three main differences among countries: constitutional, demographic, and cultural.

Culture is very important when it comes to politics and gov’t. However, it is the most difficult to analyze.

What is Culture?

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According to Webster’s culture may have the following meanings:the act of developing the intellectual and moral

faculties especially by education enlightenment and excellence of taste acquired by

intellectual and aesthetic training acquaintance with and taste in fine arts, humanities,

and broad aspects of science as distinguished from vocational and technical skills

the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations

the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group ; also : the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time

Political Culture

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Political Culture: A distinctive and patterned way of thinking about how political and economic life ought to be carried out

Modern Democracies with Different Political Cultures

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Most modern democracies have vastly different political cultures--why?Demographic differences (religion, ethnicity,

population, etc.)Historical development of individual

countries plays a large role in the development of class consciousness

Differing ideas of the proper role of government

American Political Values

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When it comes to the American view of politics there are at least five important elements:Liberty – rightsEquality – equal vote; equal chance to

participate and succeedDemocracy – government is accountable to the

peopleCivic duty – take community affairs seriously

and become involved when possibleIndividual responsibility – individuals responsible

for their own actions and well-being

Questions About Political Culture

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How do we know people share these beliefs?There is no exact way to prove that all Americans hold the

above characteristics in the same regard.However, studies and polls infer that these values are held

by many Americans.How do we explain behavior inconsistent with these

beliefs?It is a fact that people act contrary to their professed

beliefs.Besides values, self-interest and social circumstances also

shape behavior.Why is there so much political conflict in U.S. history?

Political values may be irrelevant to specific controversies.Not every person’s perception of the values mean the same

thing.

Beliefs About Economics

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Americans support free enterprise, but support some limits on marketplace freedom

Americans believe in “equality of opportunity” but not “equality of result”

Americans have a widely shared commitment to economic individualism

What are the roles of welfare and civil rights in this situation? (See p.80)

The Civic Role of Religion

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Americans are more religious than most citizens in European democracies

Religious views greatly affect politics:1730-1740s, the First Great Awakening eventually

led to the colonist’s break with English ruleBoth liberals and conservatives have used

the pulpit to promote political change:1950s-1960s, Civil rights movement was led by

black religious leadersIn the 1980s and 1990s, conservative Christian

groups (Moral Majority and Christian Coalition) became a strong political force in all levels of politics

See pgs.82-83

American Political Culture

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Americans tend to assert their rightsEmphasize liberty, individualism,

competition, equality, following rules, treating others fairly but impersonally

Some other countries put more emphasis on harmony and equality

Civic Duty and Competence

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Civic duty: a belief that one has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs

Civic competence: a belief that one can affect government policies

Sources of Political Culture

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American Revolution was essentially over liberty—asserting rights

Widespread (not universal) participation permitted by Constitution

Absence of an established national religion made religious diversity inevitable

Family instills how we think about world and politics

Not a high degree of class consciousness

The Culture War

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The cultural clash in America is a battle over values

The culture war differs from political disputes

The culture conflict is animated by deep differences in people’s beliefs about morality

Two Cultural “Camps”

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The idea that there are two broadly defined social classes in the U.S. was first developed by James Davison Hunter.

Orthodox: morality is as, or more, important than self-expression; morality derives from fixed rules from God

Progressive: personal freedom is as, or more, important than tradition; rules change based on circumstances of modern life and individual preferences

See pgs.85-86

Mistrust of Government

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There is evidence that mistrust of gov’t officials has increased since the late 1950s

Causes: Watergate scandal, the Vietnam War, the

Clinton impeachment, and the Iraqi WarPublic confidence is likely to ebb and flow

with circumstances

Figure 4.2: External Political Efficacy Index, 1952-2004

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Political Efficacy

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Political efficacy: citizen’s capacity to understand and influence political eventsInternal efficacy: confidence in one’s ability

to understand and influence eventsNo major changes since the 1950s-1960s

External efficacy: belief that system will respond to citizensDrastically declined since the 1960s

Political Tolerance

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A minimal level of tolerance is crucial to democratic politicsWhat is tolerance? According to Webster’s:

sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own

the act of allowing something the allowable deviation from a standard

Most Americans support tolerance in the abstract; however, most Americans would also deny these rights in specific cases

See p.89

How Very Unpopular Groups Survive

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Most people do not act on their beliefsOfficeholders and activists are more

tolerant than the general publicUsually there is no consensus on whom to

persecuteCourts are sufficiently insulated from public

opinion to enforce constitutional protections