American Political Culture Chapter Four American Political Culture

Culture 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? 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 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 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 When it comes to the American view of politics there are at least five important elements: Liberty – rights Equality – equal vote; equal chance to participate and succeed Democracy – government is accountable to the people Civic duty – take community affairs seriously and become involved when possible Individual responsibility – individuals responsible for their own actions and well-being

Questions About Political Culture 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 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 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 rule Both liberals and conservatives have used the pulpit to promote political change: 1950s-1960s, Civil rights movement was led by black religious leaders In 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 Americans tend to assert their rights Emphasize 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 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 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 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” 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 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 War Public confidence is likely to ebb and flow with circumstances

Figure 4.2: External Political Efficacy Index, 1952-2004 Insert figure 4.1

Political Efficacy Political efficacy: citizen’s capacity to understand and influence political events Internal efficacy: confidence in one’s ability to understand and influence events No major changes since the 1950s-1960s External efficacy: belief that system will respond to citizens Drastically declined since the 1960s

Political Tolerance A minimal level of tolerance is crucial to democratic politics What 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 Most people do not act on their beliefs Officeholders and activists are more tolerant than the general public Usually there is no consensus on whom to persecute Courts are sufficiently insulated from public opinion to enforce constitutional protections