American Political Culture

American beliefs on politics and economics

POLITICAL CULTURETerms:

civic duty:

culture war:

external efficacy:

internal efficacy:

political culture:

political efficacy:

political ideology: A consistent set of views an individual might have concerning the policies government ought to pursue.

political subculture:

work ethic:

POLITICAL CULTURETerms:

civic duty:

culture war:

external efficacy:

internal efficacy:

political culture: A distinctive and patterned way of thinking about how political and economic life should be carried out. It consist of fundamental assumptions about how the political process should operate.

political efficacy:

political ideology:

political subculture:

work ethic:

Politics

• Liberty:

Politics

• Liberty: They should be free to do as they please, with some exceptions, as long as they don’t hurt other people.

Politics

• Equality:

Politics

• Equality: Everyone should have an equal vote and an equal chance to participate and succeed.

Politics

• Democracy:

Politics

• Democracy: Governmental officials should be accountable to the people.

Politics

• Civic duty:

Politics

• Civic duty: People should take community affairs seriously and contribute when they can.

Politics

• Individual responsibility:

Politics

• Individual responsibility: Individuals are responsible for their own actions and well-being.

Politics• Liberty: They should be free to do as they please, with some

exceptions, as long as they don’t hurt other people.

• Equality: Everyone should have an equal vote and an equal chance to participate and succeed.

• Democracy: Governmental officials should be accountable to the people.

• Civic duty: People should take community affairs seriously and contribute when they can.

• Individual responsibility: Individuals are responsible for their own actions and well-being.

Economics

• Liberty:

Economics

• Liberty: Americans support the idea of a free-enterprise system within certain boundaries. People support government regulation of business to keep firms from becoming too powerful and to correct specific abuses.

Economics

• Equality:

Economics

• Equality: Americans are more willing to tolerate economic inequality than political inequality. They believe in maintaining “equality of opportunity” but not “equality of results.” Americans will support education and training programs to help disadvantaged people, but are opposed to anything that looks like preferential treatment.

Economics

• Individualism:

Economics

• Individualism: Individuals have personal responsibility. They will support people who are truly in need, but are skeptical of aid given to those who could take care of themselves.

Economics• Liberty: Americans support the idea of a free-enterprise system

within certain boundaries. People support government regulation of business to keep firms from becoming too powerful and to correct specific abuses.

• Equality: Americans are more willing to tolerate economic inequality than political inequality. They believe in maintaining “equality of opportunity” but not “equality of results.” Americans will support education and training programs to help disadvantaged people, but are opposed to anything that looks like preferential treatment.

• Individualism: Individuals have personal responsibility. They will support people who are truly in need, but are skeptical of aid given to those who could take care of themselves.

Religion

• 54% attend church more that once a month.

• 54% attend church more that once a month.

• 82% of Americans consider themselves a “religious person”.

Religion

Religion

• 54% attend church more that once a month.

• 82% of Americans consider themselves a “religious person”.

• Religious groups are the country’s major source for volunteer and community services.

Sources of Political Culture

• Political Parties

Sources of Political Culture

• Political Parties• Religious Diversity

POLITICAL CULTURETerms:

civic duty:

culture war:

external efficacy:

internal efficacy:

political culture:

political efficacy:

political ideology:

political subculture:

work ethic: the idea that an individual has an obligation to work, save money, obey the secular law, and do good works.

• Political Parties• Religious Diversity• Family

Sources of Political Culture

Sources of Political Culture

• Political Parties• Religious Diversity• Family• Cultural Conflicts

POLITICAL CULTURETerms:

civic duty:

culture war: areas of disagreement between cultural classes which include abortion, gay rights, drug use, school prayer, and pornography. Money is not at stake and compromise is virtually impossible.

external efficacy:

internal efficacy:

political culture:

political efficacy:

political ideology:

political subculture:

work ethic:.

Culture War

• The Orthodox:

• The Orthodox: believe that morality is more important than self-expression.

Culture War

• The Orthodox: believe that morality is more important than self-expression.

• The Progressives:

Culture War

Culture War

• The Orthodox: believe that morality is more important than self-expression.

• The Progressives: believe that personal freedom is more important than traditional moral rules, which should be reevaluated constantly in the light of modern life. They include liberal Protestant denominations and people with no religious beliefs.

Mistrust of Government

Mistrust of Government

• Americans who said that government officials don’t care what the public thinks.

Mistrust of Government

• Americans who said that government officials don’t care what the public thinks.

• 1952 – 33%

Mistrust of Government

• Americans who said that government officials don’t care what the public thinks.

• 1952 - 33%• 1992 - 67%

POLITICAL CULTURETerms:

civic duty: active participation in the process of government. Participation can include political activity, jury duty, and voting.

culture war:

external efficacy:

internal efficacy:

political culture:

political efficacy:

political ideology:

political subculture: groups within a country made up of distinctive regions, religions, and ethnic groups that have different political assumptions.

work ethic:

Political Efficacy

• Sense by many Americans that government will not respond to their needs and beliefs.

• Political Efficacy - A citizen’s capacity to understand and influence political events.

• Internal Efficacy - The ability to understand and take part in politics.

• External Efficacy - The ability to make the system respond to the citizenry.

Political Efficacy

Political Tolerance

• Most Americans are willing to let people they disagree with politically have great latitude in expressing their views.

Political Tolerance

• Most Americans are willing to let people they disagree with politically have great latitude in expressing their views.

• Americans as a whole have become more tolerant, but most think Americans tolerate too much.

Political Tolerance• Most Americans are willing to let people they

disagree with politically have great latitude in expressing their views.

• Americans as a whole have become more tolerant, but most think Americans tolerate too much.

• Most Americans believe that serious civic problems are rooted in a breakdown of moral values. Most worry that the nation is becoming too tolerant of behaviors that harm society.