Transcript American Political Culture

American Political Culture
Sanford-Green text chapter 4
Political Culture defined
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The set of basic values and beliefs about a
country or government that are shared by “most
citizens” (not all, but most – consensus)
It is the background against which the political
system of that country functions.
Values central to the
political culture of the US
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Majority rule that guarantees minority rights
Equality of everyone before the law
Protection of private property
Civil liberties will be guaranteed by the
government
Governmental decisions arrived at through
compromise and consensus
The law, and the will of the people, can work to
limit government
Political Socialization:
passing on the culture
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Home and school training
Bonding with special interest groups (Girl Scouts,
unions, churches, clubs, etc.)
The Media
Public figures
News events with positive or negative
repercussions
Public Opinion
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The shared attitudes of a country
Researched through survey
Measures consensus (central agreement) and
strength of opinion
Measuring Public
Opinion
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Most reliable method: a scientific poll:
Includes a large section of the public
Includes a diverse section of the public
Polls people in a timely fashion
Polls people on a topic relevant (salient) to them
Flawed measures of
public opinion
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“straw polls” -- informal questioning in
uncontrolled circumstances
Internet polls relying on voluntary response
Calls to radio talk shows that appeal to a specific
audience
Polls structured with leading questions or forced
options
Polls taken in a group that has no knowledge of
the issue
Political Ideology
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Ideology: a consistent, unwavering set of
beliefs
Political ideology: a set of beliefs about politics
or public policy that creates a person’s “mental
lens” through which issues and government
actions are viewed.
Main areas of differences in political ideologies:
economic policy, social programs, defense
policy
The modern political
continuum
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Generally described as ranging from “left”
(liberal) to “right” (conservative)
Most people scatter along the continuum, with a
relatively small group of hard-core consistent
radicals at either end
Most people will scatter conservative on some
issues, moderate on others, liberal on others
The Political Continuum
(“left” to “right” )
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Use of the words “left” and “right” to define the
spectrum dates from 15th century
Two factions in English Parliament: pro a
“liberal” government (constitution binds king,
more rights to middle class) and pro a
“conservative” government (traditional role for
king)
Factions so violently opposed, were required to
sit on opposite sides of the hall: liberals on left,
conservatives on right
The Political Spectrum
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(far left) Radical:
favors rapid change in the social,
economic, or political order; may favor
violence or revolution as a means of
accomplishing this.
The Political Spectrum
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Examples of the far left:
the Communist Party, the radical student
movements of the 1960s
The Political Spectrum
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(left) Liberal:
supports active government to promote
individuals’ welfare and rights; advocates
change through legal political means
The Political Spectrum
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Examples of the left:
The Green Party, The American Workers’
Party, more traditional “New Deal” elements
of the Democrat Party
The Political Spectrum
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(centrist) Moderate:
may include both liberal and conservative
ideologies on various topics; are generally
seen as tolerant of others’ views.
The Political Spectrum
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Examples of American Moderates:
Many members of both Democrat and
Republican parties (scattered along the
center of the continuum)
The Political Spectrum
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(right) Conservative:
supports limited government role in
individuals’ daily lives; supports traditional
values and lifestyles; advocates strong
government role in defense and crime
prevention.
The Political Spectrum
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Examples of American Conservatives:
The Libertarian Party; the neoConservative wing of the Republican Party,
the “Christian Right”
The Political Spectrum
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(far right) Reactionary:
supports a return to a previous state of
affairs from earlier times; critical of most
social change; may be willing to use
violence or force to achieve goals.
The Political Spectrum
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Examples of American Reactionaries:
The KKK, The White People’s Party, various
American militia groups (The Minutemen,
etc.)
The Political Spectrum
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These opposing views often described as
“Guns vs. Butter”
Which side would be the “guns” side?
Which side would be the “butter” side?