CHAPTER 4: American Political CultureAP US GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

Presentation Outline 1) American Political Culture

2) Comparing political cultures

3) Political Socialization

4) Trends in American Political Culture

1) American Political Culture Overall set of values widely shared within a society. “General political attitudes and orientations of a population”

“Patterned set of beliefs and assumptions about how the political process should operate”

American View of the Political System

Liberty: “My freedom ends where yours begins” Equality: Equal before the law;“American Dream” of becoming President

Democracy: “By the people, for the people, and of the people.”

Civic Duty: Volunteer and help out (Reagan’s fire brigade story)

Individualism: Take responsibility. Don’t blame the system.

“All the causes which contribute to the maintenance of the democratic republic in the United States are reducible to three heads:—I. The peculiar and accidental situation in which Providence has placed the Americans.II. The laws.III. The manners and customs of the people.”

American View of the Economic System

Free Enterprise Democracy = Capitalism Communism/Socialism evil Equality of Opportunity; Not Equality of Condition (Results)

American View of Religion

Very religious Protestant roots Separation of Church and State eroding

1. Prayer in School

2. Public funding of religious schools

3. Religious clubs in public schools See Culture War (pp. 90 – 92)

2) Comparing political cultures

Comparison to Great Britain

Deference: respect for tradition and authority

Tradition: Royalty Class Consciousness: noblesse oblige Equality of Condition Welfare State Christian but not religious Political compromise

Comparison to France

Mistrust of government: thanks to the French Revolution

Sharp left and right divide (left wing vs. right wing)

Catholic but not religious Welfare state Equality of condition

3)Political Socialization “The way children [and others] are introduced to the values and attitudes of their society”

Sources which “develop, reinforce, and transform” political culture

Direct: Conscious inculcation Indirect: By example Ongoing process

AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION

Family Children same party as parents, but declining Crossovers are independents Party identification higher than beliefs

How party identification is passed down

Democrat Independent Republican

Both parents are Democrats

59 29 13

Both parents are independent

17 67 16

Both parents are republicans

12 29 59

Religion Catholics more economically liberal than White Protestants

Jews more economically and politically liberal than Protestants or Catholics

Christian Coalition/Moral Majority: Abortion, prayer in schools

Peers Friends Cliques University clubs play an important role here

Occupation Unions Professionalization: Identifying with one’s profession

American Medical Association

School Engrain civic duty College makes people more liberal New and more ideas Liberal professors College bound predilection towards liberalism More degrees, more liberal

Mass Media Liberal media Conservative media

Contact with Governmental Structures

Opinions shaped by positive or negative dealings with:

Tax authorities School Officials Police

Region Northern Liberals Southern Conservatives New England independents Texas conservative California liberal but anti-immigrant

Class Most Americans are middle class Not important voting factor Other issues (abortion, prayer, arms control, environmentalism) more important

4) TRENDS IN AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE

Mistrust of Government “Throw the rascals out” Politicians are corrupt

Political Efficacy “capacity to understand and influence political events”

“My vote doesn’t matter” Internal Efficacy stayed the same: Politics is confusing

External Efficacy decreased but higher than Europe

Political Tolerance Do Americans really believe in Free Speech? Abstract versus Concrete Political Tolerance increasing?

Crosscutting Cleavages “Divisions within society that make groups more heterogeneous.”

Differences do not reinforce each other Lessens the importance of these differences Multiple allegiances