American Political Culture
American Political Culture
Political Culture --
Distinctive and patterned way of thinking about how political and economic aid should be carried out
Political System
Liberty
we are preoccupied with our rights and we should be free to do as we please so long as we don’t hurt someone else
Equality
Equal vote and chance to participate
Democracy
Government officials should be accountable to the people
Civic Duty
aught to take community affairs seriously and help out when you can
Individual Responsibility
characteristically American view. Barring some disability individuals are responsible for their own actions
Economy
Americans support free enterprise. We question how much freedom should be in the marketplace. How much should government interact?
Americans tend to support government regulations of business in order to keep some firms from becoming too powerful and to correct specific abuses
Americans are more willing to tolerate economic inequality than political inequality
In the opportunity v results argument, Americans tend to favor equality of opportunity over equality of results
Sources of political culture
American Revolution was fought over liberty. An assertion by the Colonists of what they took to be their natural rights
Constitution - reconcile liberty with needs of social control
Preoccupation with maintenance of rights
Distrust of authority and people wielding power
Civic Duty
The belief that one has an obligation to participate in civil and political affairs
Civil Competence
a belief that one can affect government policies
Class Consciousness
a belief that you are a member of an economic group whose interests are opposed to people in other such groups
Culture War
Compromise almost impossible to arrange, conflict that is more profound.
For example: Orthodox v Progressive, abortion, gay rights, drug use, different from other disputes because money is not at stake
Orthodox
a belief that morality and religion out to be decisive
Progressive
a belief that personal freedom and solving social issues are more important than religion
Political Efficacy -
a belief that you can take part in politics (internal) or that the government will respond (external)
Mistrust in Government
Since the 1950s there has been a decline in trust of government
People are talking about government officials, not the system, we are actually supportive of the system
Why? Watergate, Vietnam, Lewinsky
9/11 reinvigorated patriotism, but slowly declining again