American Political Culture Habits of the Heart

Learning Objective To understand what political culture is and how it may potentially impact political outcomes.

What is Politics? Harold Lasswell, “Who gets what, when, and how” Tom Patterson “Politics is the process through which a society settles its conflicts.” Carl Schmitt “The specific political distinction to which political actions can be reduced is between friend and enemy.”

Political Culture The characteristic and deep seated beliefs of a particular people about government and politics. Examples: Many people in the Islamic world believe Israel is a colonial power that is highly unjust. This belief may impact the domestic and foreign policies of Islamic countries. Many Americans believe in the importance of individual efforts for personal success and therefore are opposed to generous welfare benefits.

Sources of American Political Culture Greco-Roman Judeo-Christian Anglo-Saxon Native American African Asian

America’s Core Values – The American Creed Declaration of Independence - “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” Liberty through the frontier and through governmental intervention Equality as an ideal and an historical struggle – moral worth and under law Self-Government – “Of the people, by the people, and for the people” – people are the source of legitimate authority

Other Principles Associated with the America Creed Individualism – Commitment to personal initiative, self-sufficiency, and material accumulation – property rights, consumerism, and distrust of government Unity – From Articles of Confederation through the supremacy of the Federal government Diversity – “one out of many” – states rights – multicultural society

Percentage agreeing that success in life is pretty much determined by forces outside our control United States – 32% Great Britain – 48% France – 54% Italy – 66% Germany – 68%

Education More than a third of the nation’s young attend college Equality of Opportunity California (322) and New York (320) have more colleges than any European democracy

The Limits of Ideals Ideals are myths Slavery Hostility to Immigrants – Nevertheless Americans are twice as likely French or Germans to have positive images of major immigrant groups within their society Ideals as a source of change Examine opinions about the teaching of history in American schools

Where do ideals come from? Historical experience – As a former colony of Britain, many of America’s ideas are inherited from the historical experiences of the British people Material circumstances – Geography and modes of production impact beliefs Resource dependent economies often produce autocratic governments Countries with good ports often become vibrant commercial powers with greater tendencies toward production of wealth that leads to more participation in political decision making.

Where do ideals come from? The Logic of Ideas Ideas have consequences – the will of the people cannot take precedence over the revealed word of God Acceptance of pluralism limits the areas of agreement that a society may have and may make its policies less consistent and coherent overtime

The Social Contract Thomas Hobbes – The Leviathan (1651) – People surrender freedom to have protection from a sovereign power John Locke – Second Treatise on Civil Government (1690) – People have inalienable rights – including life, liberty, and property Jean Jacques Rousseau – Social Contract (1762) – Government is legitimate if it serves the “General Will”

The Rules of American Politics Democracy – contrast to oligarchy and autocracy – democracy is less direct in the United States – extreme fragmentation of governing authority is a defining characteristic of the American political system Constitutionalism – rule of law and extraordinary attention on individual rights Capitalism – contrast to socialism and communism – sharp distinction between what is political and what is economic

Theories of Power Majoritarianism – Rule by the majority of the society Pluralism – Rule by interested groups Elitism – Rule by small, influential minority Bureaucratic rule – Rule by the executors of the laws

American Conservatism and Liberalism as Ideals Conservatives – Believe in limiting the power of the state in economic affairs and using the state as enforcing strong social norms Evangelical Christians Liberals – Believe in using state power to bring about positive economic outcomes, but are more tolerant of a variety of social norms Ethnic Minority Groups helped by Federal Power