AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE American Political Ideals May 14 th, 2003

POLITICAL CULTURE: What is It? value consensus regarding the appropriate method of making political decisions and the appropriate spheres subject to political decision-makingvalue consensus regarding the appropriate method of making political decisions and the appropriate spheres subject to political decision-making –constitution (formal rules of the game)/political culture (operational rules of the game) –both about process and outcome

POLITICAL CULTURE: What is It? CHARACTERISTICSCHARACTERISTICS –consensus -- not monolith –enduring -- not transitory –different from (but related to) political ideology more complex, less consistent than ideologymore complex, less consistent than ideology

POLITICAL CULTURE: Where Does It Come From? IMMIGRATIONIMMIGRATION –religious/ethnic background fleeing religious persecutionfleeing religious persecution puritanismpuritanism –moral absolutism protestantismprotestantism –distrust of hierarchy –protestant work ethic

POLITICAL CULTURE: Where Does It Come From? GEOGRAPHYGEOGRAPHY –more land than labour undermined development of rigid social hierarchyundermined development of rigid social hierarchy reinforced emphasis on individualismreinforced emphasis on individualism –frontier imagery settlement preceded authoritysettlement preceded authority

POLITICAL CULTURE: Where Does It Come From? HISTORICAL EVENTSHISTORICAL EVENTS –American Revolution patriotismpatriotism emphasized liberty and democracyemphasized liberty and democracy –American Civil War emphasized idea of “one nation”emphasized idea of “one nation”

POLITICAL CULTURE: Where Does It Come From? ECONOMYECONOMY –dynamic, rapidly growing economy –reinforced notions of equality of opportunity, individualism, and individual responsibility

POLITICAL CULTURE: Where Does It Come From? POLITICAL INSTITUTIONSPOLITICAL INSTITUTIONS –reflects political culture but also reinforces it –constitutional emphasis on individual rights and limited government –political practice emphasizing mass participation

POLITICAL CULTURE: Where Does It Come From? PLACE IN THE WORLDPLACE IN THE WORLD –major superpower doctrine of isolationism ultimately unsustainabledoctrine of isolationism ultimately unsustainable –reinforced patriotism and moral absolutism

Elements of American Political Culture libertyliberty egalitarianismegalitarianism –equality of opportunity democracy/populismdemocracy/populism individualism and individual responsibilityindividualism and individual responsibility voluntarismvoluntarism moral absolutismmoral absolutism patriotismpatriotism

Main Point! American politics is shaped by various values (sometimes contradictory) which arose out of the historical context in which the US political system developedAmerican politics is shaped by various values (sometimes contradictory) which arose out of the historical context in which the US political system developed this political culture is widely shared and deeply embeddedthis political culture is widely shared and deeply embedded –commitment to these values is often shared by those critical of American political practice