1. American Political Culture Why didn’t people shoot George W. Bush? Why didn’t people shoot George W. Bush? Why do we pay taxes? Why do we pay taxes? Why don’t we take to the streets to protest Wall Street? Why don’t we take to the streets to protest Wall Street?

2. Definition of Political Culture a set of norms, beliefs, traditions, and values oriented toward the political system that are for the most part shared by the society and are relatively unique to a political system a set of norms, beliefs, traditions, and values oriented toward the political system that are for the most part shared by the society and are relatively unique to a political system

3. The American Political Culture

4. American Political Culture Is there an American political culture? Is there an American political culture? Has it disappeared? Has it disappeared? How does it affect public policy? How does it affect public policy?

5. Tenets of Classical Liberalism Individual have natural rights Individual have natural rights Individuals are equal under the law Individuals are equal under the law Government should be limited Government should be limited Government's #1 purpose is to serve individuals Government's #1 purpose is to serve individuals

7. Declaration of Independence All men are created equal All men are created equal Endowed with certain inalienable rights, life liberty pursuit of happiness Endowed with certain inalienable rights, life liberty pursuit of happiness Government derives “their just powers from the consent of the governed “ Government derives “their just powers from the consent of the governed “

8. Do you believe in Liberty?

9. Liberty The belief that individuals should be free to act and think as they choose, provided they do not infringe unreasonably on the freedom and well being of others. The belief that individuals should be free to act and think as they choose, provided they do not infringe unreasonably on the freedom and well being of others.

10. Individual Responsibility A commitment to personal responsibility, self sufficiency, and material accumulation Hard work pays off

13. It is the responsibility of the state to take care of poor people who can’t take care of themselves. #s are the percent agreeing

14. People like me and my family have a good chance of improving our standard of living. #s are percent agreeing

15. 1. Government should reduce income inequality. 2. Government should provide all Americans with a guaranteed income. 3. Luck is more important than hard work in getting ahead. What would those making less than $12k think?

16. Values are shared by least and most fortunate

17. Do you believe in Equality?

18. Equality Americans have a strong commitment to legal, social and political equality. Americans have a strong commitment to legal, social and political equality. Not equality of outcomes or economic equality Not equality of outcomes or economic equality Public Support for Affirmative Action Public Support for Affirmative Action Equality more of a “contested” concept Equality more of a “contested” concept

21. Clinton/Obama Health Care Plan large government operation large government operation remove control from the market remove control from the market restrict the choices of individuals restrict the choices of individuals Promote equality of outcomes Promote equality of outcomes

22. “a government takeover of your life “ “automatically enrolled in a government run health alliance” Future of Freedom Foundation

25. Why America hates Socialism

26. Values Shape Policy Outcomes Policies are suspect if they conflict with dominant political culture. Policies are suspect if they conflict with dominant political culture. large government operation large government operation remove control from the market remove control from the market restrict the choices of individuals restrict the choices of individuals Promote equality of outcomes Promote equality of outcomes Universal health care; living wage policies;

29. Are we really rugged individualists? Large majorities favor Government regulation of Wall Street Protecting the environment Building infrastructure Safety net

30. Public Support for Greater Government Role in Health Care Industry

31. Are we really rugged individualists ?

32. Tocqueville, Democracy in America

33. Tocqueville Vision Frontier and widespread property ownership Frontier and widespread property ownership Life characterized by atomistic social freedom Life characterized by atomistic social freedom Do not need strong state or class movement to create upward mobility Do not need strong state or class movement to create upward mobility New world creates faith in individualism New world creates faith in individualism

34. Traditional Explanations Louis Hartz, The Liberal Consensus no feudal aristocracy—no landed aristocracy to provide a conservative view no feudal aristocracy—no landed aristocracy to provide a conservative view minimal taxes minimal taxes few legal restraints few legal restraints frontier provides opportunities—easy for ambitious individuals to succeed frontier provides opportunities—easy for ambitious individuals to succeed nation of small independent farmers nation of small independent farmers

35. Is the American polity characterized by hegemonic liberal democratic values? Is the American polity characterized by hegemonic liberal democratic values? All men are created equal All men are created equal Endowed with certain inalienable rights, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness Endowed with certain inalienable rights, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness Government derives “their just powers from the consent of the governed “ Government derives “their just powers from the consent of the governed “

36. “All men are created equal.”

37. “Multiple Traditions” Critique “Americans share a common culture, but one more complexly and multiply constituted than is usually acknowledged.”

38. “Multiple Traditions” Critique Rogers Smith --> American political culture is the “complex patterns of apparently inconsistent combinations of traditions, accompanied by recurring conflicts.” American political culture is the “complex patterns of apparently inconsistent combinations of traditions, accompanied by recurring conflicts.” Complex Mix of liberal and Complex Mix of liberal and ascriptive forms of Americanism at the same time

39. Smith- Multiple Traditions (cont) "fail[s] to give due weight to inegalitarian ideologies and conditions that have shaped the participants and the substance of American politics just as deeply" as liberalism has At the republic’s founding, the “comparative moral, material, and political egalitarianism that prevailed... among moderately propertied white men was surrounded by an array of other fixed, ascriptive systems of unequal status, all largely unchallenged by the American revolutionaries (549). for “at least two-thirds of American history, the majority of the domestic adult population was... ineligible for full American citizenship solely because of their race, original nationality, or gender” Reconstruction period- example of liberal and ascriptive traditions

40. Civil War and Reconstruction Slavery abolished Slavery abolished All persons born in US deemed citizens, regardless or race, creed, or gender All persons born in US deemed citizens, regardless or race, creed, or gender None could be denied voting rights on racial grounds None could be denied voting rights on racial grounds BUT, BUT,

41. Darwinism and Spencerism “Intellectual and political elites develop the most elaborate theories of racial and gender hierarchy in US history and embody them in staggering array of laws governing naturalization, immigration, deportation, voting rights, electoral institutions. ” “Intellectual and political elites develop the most elaborate theories of racial and gender hierarchy in US history and embody them in staggering array of laws governing naturalization, immigration, deportation, voting rights, electoral institutions. ”

42. Intellectual Credibility – Racial Hierarchies “black, brown, and red races … (had) a peculiar mental temperament which has become hereditary. Leaving them constitutionally recreant to the cues of civilization ” 1895 Daniel Brinton, President, American Association for the Advancement of Science

43. CA Senator, John MIller 40 centuries of Chinese life had “ground into” the Chinese race characteristics that made them unbeatable competitors against the free white man. They were “automatic engines of flesh and blood” far below the Anglo-Saxon- such that immigration of Chinese laborers must be banned. 40 centuries of Chinese life had “ground into” the Chinese race characteristics that made them unbeatable competitors against the free white man. They were “automatic engines of flesh and blood” far below the Anglo-Saxon- such that immigration of Chinese laborers must be banned.

44. Chinese Exclusion Act

45. Senator Lodge’s Literacy Test “Research shows it will exclude the Italians, Russians, Poles, Hungarians, Greeks, and Asiatics,… thereby preserving “the quality of our race and citizenship.”

46. Multiple Traditions – still true?

52. THERE WILL BE NOTHING ON WATTENBERG AND GINGRICH ON THE FALL 2011 MIDTERM.  THERE WILL BE NOTHING ON WATTENBERG AND GINGRICH ON THE FALL 2011 MIDTERM. 

53. How many immigrants are in the United States today?

57. " Welcome to All!“, Puck April 28, 1880

58. Are you smart enough to be a US Citizen? What is the supreme law of the land? What is the supreme law of the land? What is the economic system in the United States? What is the economic system in the United States? Name one branch or part of the government.* Name one branch or part of the government.* We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years? We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years? Who vetoes bills? Who vetoes bills? What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy? What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?ways that Americans can participateways that Americans can participate Name one American Indian tribe in the United States. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.