Culture
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Politically, there are three main differences among countries: constitutional, demographic, and cultural.
Culture is very important when it comes to politics and gov’t. However, it is the most difficult to analyze.
What is Culture?
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According to Webster’s culture may have the following meanings:the act of developing the intellectual and moral
faculties especially by education enlightenment and excellence of taste acquired by
intellectual and aesthetic training acquaintance with and taste in fine arts, humanities,
and broad aspects of science as distinguished from vocational and technical skills
the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations
the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group ; also : the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time
Political Culture
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Political Culture: A distinctive and patterned way of thinking about how political and economic life ought to be carried out
Modern Democracies with Different Political Cultures
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Most modern democracies have vastly different political cultures--why?Demographic differences (religion, ethnicity,
population, etc.)Historical development of individual
countries plays a large role in the development of class consciousness
Differing ideas of the proper role of government
American Political Values
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When it comes to the American view of politics there are at least five important elements:Liberty – rightsEquality – equal vote; equal chance to
participate and succeedDemocracy – government is accountable to the
peopleCivic duty – take community affairs seriously
and become involved when possibleIndividual responsibility – individuals responsible
for their own actions and well-being
Questions About Political Culture
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How do we know people share these beliefs?There is no exact way to prove that all Americans hold the
above characteristics in the same regard.However, studies and polls infer that these values are held
by many Americans.How do we explain behavior inconsistent with these
beliefs?It is a fact that people act contrary to their professed
beliefs.Besides values, self-interest and social circumstances also
shape behavior.Why is there so much political conflict in U.S. history?
Political values may be irrelevant to specific controversies.Not every person’s perception of the values mean the same
thing.
Beliefs About Economics
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Americans support free enterprise, but support some limits on marketplace freedom
Americans believe in “equality of opportunity” but not “equality of result”
Americans have a widely shared commitment to economic individualism
What are the roles of welfare and civil rights in this situation? (See p.80)
The Civic Role of Religion
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Americans are more religious than most citizens in European democracies
Religious views greatly affect politics:1730-1740s, the First Great Awakening eventually
led to the colonist’s break with English ruleBoth liberals and conservatives have used
the pulpit to promote political change:1950s-1960s, Civil rights movement was led by
black religious leadersIn the 1980s and 1990s, conservative Christian
groups (Moral Majority and Christian Coalition) became a strong political force in all levels of politics
See pgs.82-83
American Political Culture
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Americans tend to assert their rightsEmphasize liberty, individualism,
competition, equality, following rules, treating others fairly but impersonally
Some other countries put more emphasis on harmony and equality
Civic Duty and Competence
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Civic duty: a belief that one has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs
Civic competence: a belief that one can affect government policies
Sources of Political Culture
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American Revolution was essentially over liberty—asserting rights
Widespread (not universal) participation permitted by Constitution
Absence of an established national religion made religious diversity inevitable
Family instills how we think about world and politics
Not a high degree of class consciousness
The Culture War
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The cultural clash in America is a battle over values
The culture war differs from political disputes
The culture conflict is animated by deep differences in people’s beliefs about morality
Two Cultural “Camps”
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The idea that there are two broadly defined social classes in the U.S. was first developed by James Davison Hunter.
Orthodox: morality is as, or more, important than self-expression; morality derives from fixed rules from God
Progressive: personal freedom is as, or more, important than tradition; rules change based on circumstances of modern life and individual preferences
See pgs.85-86
Mistrust of Government
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There is evidence that mistrust of gov’t officials has increased since the late 1950s
Causes: Watergate scandal, the Vietnam War, the
Clinton impeachment, and the Iraqi WarPublic confidence is likely to ebb and flow
with circumstances
Political Efficacy
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Political efficacy: citizen’s capacity to understand and influence political eventsInternal efficacy: confidence in one’s ability
to understand and influence eventsNo major changes since the 1950s-1960s
External efficacy: belief that system will respond to citizensDrastically declined since the 1960s
Political Tolerance
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A minimal level of tolerance is crucial to democratic politicsWhat is tolerance? According to Webster’s:
sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own
the act of allowing something the allowable deviation from a standard
Most Americans support tolerance in the abstract; however, most Americans would also deny these rights in specific cases
See p.89