2. American Political Culture

3. Political Culture ala Patterson
•liberty (freedom to act; personal autonomy)
•self-government (popular sovereignty; government of, by, for people)
•equality (fair treatment and equal opportunity)
•individualism (self-sufficiency, material accumulation, private property, individual as foundation of society) [this is the core of the core — we are the most individualistic nation on earth]
•diversity (differences respected and legitimate basis of self-interest), and
•unity (one people, indivisible union)

4. Rules of the Game ala Paterson
•democracy (people govern either directly or through representatives) responds to numbers--majoritarian
•constitutionalism is a set of rules that restricts the lawful use of power (limits on the power of governments over citizens) responds to rights--minoritarian [Extraordinary emphasis on rights is a characteristic of American politics.]
•capitalism (free enterprise and self-reliance) responds to wealth–plutocratic [Sharp distinction between the political and the economic realms is a characteristic of American politics.]
[All three rules of the game are based on the free choice of free individuals--thus consistent with our core belief in individualism]

5. Conclusion: “Politics in the United States is characterized by a number of major patterns.”
Political culture that binds people together
Extreme fragmentation of authority
Diversity and competing interests
Strong emphasis on individual rights
Sharp separation of political and economic spheres

6. What would you hypothesize? Why?
Career
Class
Cornellian
Denomination
Ethnicity
Family
Individual
Nationality
Political party
Race
Religion
Sex
Sexual preference
Social group
State
Student

7. Political Culture @ Cornell
November 2004

8. Political Culture @ Cornell
April 2004

9. Political Culture @ Cornell
February 2004

10. Today
Founding Documents from the Perspective of Political Culture:
Declaration of Independence
Constitution
The American Constitution through the eyes of the Framers, focusing on Madison’s Federalist #10

11. The Federalist no. 10, as it appeared in the New York Daily Advertiser, November 22, 1787.