AMERICAN POLITICAL
CULTUREAP Government and Politics
Chapter 4: Wilson
Homework: Read Wilson, Chapter 4 (82-87) and take notes
Consider: Is America the “best” country, or somehow different or better than other nations?
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE… "The Democrats lost a seat they've held in New York since the 1920s. The White House
said, 'At least President Obama created one new job.'" –Jay Leno
"Mitt Romney's campaign is offering a chance to win a day with Romney. It's called, 'Vote for Mitt Romney or else you'll have to spend a day with Mitt Romney.'" –Conan O'Brien
Congress is investigating why the Obama administration invested over $500 million in a solar panel company called Solyndra, which filed for bankruptcy. Only the White House could pick a solar panel company that goes broke in California in the summer. - Jay Leno
I don’t want to say the solar panels are bad, but they absorb less sunlight than John Boehner. – Jay Leno
The University of Chicago is hosting an academic conference called “Jersey Shore Studies.” Meanwhile in Korea, students are learning something called “math.” – Jimmy Kimmel
This week, Michele Bachmann and Cindy McCain had dinner together at a Mexican restaurant in Arizona. It wasn’t good. First they sent their entree back to the kitchen, then they sent the kitchen staff back to Guadalajara. – Jimmy Fallon
On Tuesday, Michelle Obama honored the creator of the Verdana computer font for his life’s work. Yeah, she also honored the creator of Courier New for making my college essays look two to three pages longer. – Jimmy Fallon
AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE
What is “political culture?”
What are the unique aspects of American political culture? Liberty Equality Democracy The Rule of Law Individualism (unity?) Diversity Capitalism?
How are these reflected in our belief about the economic system?
What questions must we ask about American political culture? How do we know? Why the contradiction between beliefs and actions? If we all agree, why political conflict?
THE NATIONAL MOTTO
AMERICAN-ISM? “In Europe, nationality is related to
community, and thus one cannot become un-English or un-Swedish. Being an American, however, is an ideological commitment. It is not a matter of birth. Those who reject American values are ‘un-American’”.Seymour Martin Lipset, in American
Exceptionalism, A Double-Edged Sword
AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM
“The position of the Americans is therefore quite exceptional, and it may be believed that no democratic people will ever be placed in a similar one. Their strictly Puritanical origin, their exclusively commercial habits, even the country they inhabit, which seems to divert their minds from the pursuit of science, literature, and the arts, the proximity of Europe, which allows them to neglect these pursuits without relapsing into barbarism, a thousand special causes, of which I have only been able to point out the most important, have singularly concurred to fix the mind of the American upon purely practical objects. His passions, his wants, his education, and everything about him seem to unite in drawing the native of the United States earthward; his religion alone bids him turn, from time to time, a transient and distracted glance to heaven. Let us cease, then, to view all democratic nations under the example of the American people” – deTocqueville, Democracy in America
And when asked specifically by a British journalist in 2009 whether he believes in American Exceptionalism, Obama replied thusly: "I believe in American Exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism."
AMERICAN POLITICAL
CULTUREAP Government and Politics
Chapter 4: Wilson
Homework: Read Wilson, Chapter 4 (87-99) and take notes
Consider: How do Americans differ from other nations in their political beliefs?
HOW DOES AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE COMPARE WITH OTHER NATIONS?
Attribute America SwedenDemocracy Participatory DeferentialCourt system Adversarial; will
challenge government
Non-adversarial
Equality Political, not economic
Political and economic
Success Individualism Cooperation
AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE
AP Government and PoliticsChapter 4: Wilson
Homework: Read Wilson, Chapter 5 (103-110) and take notes
Consider: Do Americans trust their government? Why or why not?
POLITICAL CULTURE: TRUST, EFFICACY AND TOLERANCE
How can we determine where we are as Americans in terms of our:Trust in government?
What is the general trend?Feelings of efficacy?
Internal vs. ExternalTolerance of others?
What conclusion does Wilson draw about our tolerance for ideas we disagree with?
THE SOURCES OF AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE
Where do most Americans learn what it means to be an “American”?What has taken the place of the family in many
cases?
How did our history influence the development of our unique PC?Protection of RightsDistrust of authorityPeaceful transitions of powerReligious diversity/separation from government
IF WE SHARE A COMMON POLITICAL CULTURE, WHY SO MUCH POLITICAL CONFLICT?
Culture war?Progressives
vs. Orthodox – main perspectives
Too simplistic?
What major changes have helped to fuel this culture war?
TRUST IN GOVERNMENT
From C-SPAN
