Political Culture

Wilson Chapter 4

LCHS AP Government

Tocqueville on why democracy could take root in the U.S.• No feudal aristocracy; minimal taxes; few legal

restraints• Westward movement; vast territory provided

opportunities• Nation of small, independent farmers• “Moral and intellectual characteristics”—today

called “political culture”

Definition of political culture

• Distinctive and patterned way of thinking about how political and economic life ought to be carried out

• For example, Americans generally believe more strongly in political than in economic equality

Elements of the American view of the political system • Liberty (rights)

• Equality

• Democracy (government is accountable to the people)

• Civic duty

• Individual responsibility

Some questions about the U.S. political culture • How do we know people share these beliefs?

– before polls, beliefs were inferred from books, speeches, political choices etc.

• How do we explain behavior inconsistent with these beliefs?– beliefs are still important and may cause changes in behavior

• Why is there so much political conflict in U.S. history?– beliefs contradict one another and are not consistently

prioritized

Historians Debate• “Consensus” historians (e.g. Louis Hartz) contend

that Americans agree on political values based on the principles articulated by John Locke.

• “Conflict” historians (e.g. Vernon Parrington) discern a liberal–conservative dimension to American values and dispute the existence of a unified culture.

• Perhaps the most consistent evidence of a common political culture is the use of the terms “Americanism,” “un-American”

The Economic System

• Americans support free enterprise, but see limits on marketplace freedom

• Americans believe in equality of opportunity in the economy, but not equality of result

• Americans have a widely shared commitment to economic individualism

Comparing U.S. to Sweden

• Swedes have a well-developed democracy, but are more deferential than participatory– Defer to government experts and specialists– Rarely challenge governmental decisions in court– Believe in “what is best” more than “what people want”– Value equality as much as (or more than) liberty– Value harmony and observe obligations

Comparing U.S. to Japan

• Japanese – Value good relations with colleagues– Emphasize group decisions and social harmony– Respect hierarchy

• Americans – Tend to assert rights– Emphasize individualism, competition, equality, following

rules, treating others fairly but impersonally

Comparisons with Europe• U.S. and British citizens in 1959/1960 had a

stronger sense of civic duty and competence • Americans lag in voting rates but not in other forms

of participation• Americans have more confidence in government

institutions• Americans acknowledge flaws but are still “very

proud” of their national identity and “would be willing to fight” for their country in the event of war

Comparing Economic Systems

• Swedes (contrasted with Americans): Verba and Orren – Favor equal pay and top limit on incomes– Favor less income inequality– Americans are less likely to believe that hard

work goes unrewarded or that government should guarantee a basic standard of living

Role of religion

• Americans are highly religious compared to Europeans

• Religious beliefs have played an important role in American politics

• Both liberals and conservatives have and do use the pulpit to promote political change

Historical Roots 1• American Revolution was essentially over liberty --

asserting rights• Constitution, though, dealt with other issues as

well; it was an effort to reconcile personal liberty with societal control

• Adversarial culture• Also a longstanding distrust of authority, reflective

of a belief that human nature is depraved

Historical Roots 2

• Federalist–Jeffersonian transition in 1800 – reconciling the need and the suspicion of government– Legitimated the role of the opposition party,

demonstrating that liberty and political change can coexist

Legal-Sociological Factors• Widespread (not universal) participation permitted by

Constitution• Absence of an established national religion

– Religious diversity a source of cleavage– Absence of established religion has facilitated the absence of

political orthodoxy– Puritan heritage stress on personal achievement:

• Work• Save money• Obey secular law• Do good works

Protestant Ethic

• Max Weber described this (previous slide) as the “Protestant ethic” (work ethic)

• Miniature political systems were produced by churches’ congregational organization, so civic and political skills could develop

Family

• Instills the ways we think about world and politics – Greater freedom of children and equality among

family members ...– . . . leads to belief in rights and acceptance of

diverse views in decision-making

Class Consciousness

• Not a high degree in U.S.• Most people consider themselves middle class• Even unemployed do not oppose management

– the political views of employed and unemployed people are similar

• Message of Horatio Alger stories is still popular

The Culture War 1

• Cultural classes in America battle over values

• Culture war differs from political disputes in three ways:– Money is not at stake– Compromises are almost impossible– Conflict is more profound

The Culture War

• Culture conflict due to deep differences in beliefs about– private and public morality

• standards that ought to govern individual behavior and social arrangements

• In which kind of country should we live?

Two Camps in Culture War• Orthodox:

– morality is as, or more, important than self-expression– morality derived from fixed rules from God

• Progressive: – personal freedom is as, or more, important than tradition – changing rules based on circumstances of modern life

• Orthodox associated with fundamentalist Protestants• Progressives associated with liberal Protestants and those with

no strong religious beliefs

Historical Importance of Culture War

• More people consider themselves progressives than previously

• Rise of technology makes it easier to mobilize people

Culture Wars Affect

• trust in government

• sense of political efficacy

• sense of the freedom that should be granted to one’s opponents

Mistrust of Government – Increases

• Jimmy Carter’s 1979 malaise speech• Polls showed people

– Less often trusted government to “do what is right” all or most of the time

– Had diminished trust in the president and Congress– Had virtually unchanged trust in the Supreme Court– Had increased trust in state and local governments

Mistrust of Government – Causes

• Vietnam

• Watergate

• However, trend was the same before and after these events.

Mistrust in Context

• Mistrust of specific leaders and policies, not of the system

• Present views are closer to historical norm

• No loss of confidence in Americans themselves or in their system

Political Efficacy• Citizen’s capacity to understand and influence political events• Two parts

– internal• ability to understand and change events• same as 1950s

– external• belief that system will respond to citizens• not shaped by particular events• steadily declined since 1960s

Efficacy Conclusions

• Americans seem to believe that government is becoming too big to respond to individual preferences

• Efficacy is still much higher among Americans than among Europeans

• Americans today may not be more alienated . . . but simply more realistic

Political Tolerance

• Crucial to democratic society

• It allows– free discussion of ideas– selection of rulers without oppression

Levels of Tolerance

• Most Americans assent in abstract …

• … but would deny rights in concrete cases

• Fear that the nation is too tolerant of harmful behaviors leads many people to defend common moral standards, over protecting individual rights

• Still, most are willing to allow expression by those with whom they disagree

How Do Unpopular Groups Survive?

• Most people don’t act on their beliefs.• Officeholders and activists more tolerant than

general public• Usually no consensus exists on whom to

persecute• Courts are sufficiently insulated from public

opinion to enforce constitutional protections