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What is political culture?
political culture is a reflection of how “We, the people” think our government should operate
Shared beliefs, values, and norms citizens hold about their relationship to govt and each other
Examples
Some elements of political culture have changed while some have remained constant
Constant: liberty (most cherished)Change: ideas about suffrage
Other characteristics of political culture include…
Liberty Patrick Henry Taxation without Representation Bill of Rights Miranda Rights
Other characteristics of political culture include…
Democracy No man is above the law (Nixon, Watergate); called
the rule of law When government doesn’t work we can abolish it
(Locke) Democratic consensus (pop sov, majority rule)
Other characteristics of political culture include…
Equality Started with TJ Not always consistent with policy (slavery, schools) Political equality: all have equal protection under the
law 14th Amendment (citizenship clause, due process clause,
equal protection clause) Social equality or equal opportunity: everyone has the
chance to succeed
Other characteristics of political culture include…
Individualism Right to make choices Must understand since everyone has this right,
someone has to lose
Self-reliance (started with Puritans) Growing dependence on govt strays from this (ex.
FDR’s New Deal, LBJ’s Great Society, Obama’s bailouts)
Other characteristics of political culture include…
Civic Duty/Obligation Registering to vote Being informed Voting College acceptance often determined in part by civic
duty
Other characteristics of political culture include…
Social Capital People coming together, listening to each other,
exchanging ideas Clubs, meetings, belonging Important to strengthen communities, get new
perspective Examples: neighborhood watch, town council, local
DAR chapter, even little league
Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone
Other characteristics of political culture include…
Suffrage Originally only white, property owning men, 21 or
older (1/6th of white men) Elimination of property rights; all men over 21 (A.
Jackson) 15th Amendment: all black men (Reconstruction Era) 19th Amendment: all women (Progressive Era) 26th Amendment: all citizens 18+ (Vietnam War)
Other characteristics of political culture include…
Political Efficacy understanding the issues, becoming engaged in the
political system with the intent of making a difference responsibility with universal suffrage
Political Ideology
Refers to a constant pattern of ideas or beliefs about political values and the role of government, including how it should work and how it actually does work
Two major schools of ideology dominate American politics: liberalism and conservatism
Two minor schools are also prevalent: socialism and libertarianism
Liberals vs. Conservatives
Major difference is the size/scope of government (personal liberty vs social equality) For example, should an individual who works hard and
earns a fortune be expected to pay additional taxes so a less fortunate, also hardworking, individual receives health care at no expense? Does this cause the demise of Puritan Work Ethic? (called the Protestant ethic by political philosopher Max Weber)
Classic Liberalism
Favored limited government, promoted individualism
Overtime this has changed significantly in US
US is backwards from rest of the world in terms of labeling parties
Liberals
Government intervention in the economy is necessary to remedy the defects of capitalism Equal access to health care, housing, education Affirmative action Pro-union Government should control/correct social issues Reduce inequalities of wealth (maintain minimum
level of income) – stipends, technology, etc. Cut defense spending Favor raising taxes to pay for government programs
Presidential History
Most liberal presidents (dems): Andrew Jackson Franklin D Roosevelt Barack H Obama
Moderate presidents (still dems): Harry Truman Bill Clinton
Criticism of Liberalism
Rely too much on govt to solve nation’s problems
Higher taxes hurt the average AmericanGovt has to be limited to serve our best
interestsPower tends to corruptUndermine self-reliance/competitive spiritWelfare will destroy individual initiative
Conservatives
Enhance personal liberty by keeping government small Sole functions of government are to protect us from
foreign enemies, preserve law & order, encourage economic growth (free and fair trade)
Celebrate the individual – you decide to make what you want out of your life
Pro-business (trust the private sector to solve problems)
Favor vouchers for schools, choices in health benefits, privatizing Social Security, keep military strong
Favor tax cuts
Social Conservatives
Focus less on economy, and more on family values
Represent the Christian right Government should act to protect traditional
morals
Presidential History
Conservative: George Washington (1789-1797) James Monroe (1817-1825) Grover Cleveland (1885-1889, 1893-1897) Warren G. Harding (1921-1923) Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) George W. Bush (2001-2009) (with respect to taxes
and Supreme Court nominations)
Criticism of Conservatism
not thinking of the whole People who make more should pay morefail to deal with social issues like racism and
sexismCriticism of social conservatives – US is
supposed to have freedom of religion & separation of church and state
Socialism
Aka mixed system Government controls economy Politically free
Karl Marx (transitional stage from capitalism to communism)
Socialists would… Nationalize certain industries Institute a public jobs program (all who wanted to
work could) Tax the wealthy more heavily Reduce spending
Libertarianism
Cherishes individual liberty, sharply limited government
Want the government to stay small and far away
Oppose most government programsFavor armed services that would only act if
US were attackedOppose most government regulationFavor massive tax cuts“live and let live”
Words of caution
1. Political labels have different meanings across national boundaries as well as over time
2. Ideological terms or labels can be confusing - You can’t lump everyone in the same group Ex. You can be social liberal but fiscally conservative
(how should you vote?) Ex. You can be socially conservative but fiscally liberal
(how should you vote?)
Distribution of Ideology
more conservatives than liberalsvery few extreme conservatives or extreme
liberals (in 2000, only 2% viewed themselves as extreme conservatives, only 1% extreme liberals)
MOST (75%) Americans consider themselves moderate
both major parties target centrist or moderate voters in elections
Ideological Views
Most Americans do not organize their attitudes systematically
Very low consistency among various attitudes and opinions
Assignments
1. Take ideology quizzes (on Weebly) On PBS quiz, at the end, click on “Social” and then
“Economic” after you view “Overall” Note: Pew Research Center quiz focuses on new categories
(like the chart on Slide 28) On politopia quiz, its ok to put in your email for your
results A. you just need to do this to get your results on the next
screen B. they will never email you
2. Philip Converse’s “The Nation of Belief Systems in Mass Politics”