chapter 4: american political culture ap us government & politics
TRANSCRIPT
CHAPTER 4: American Political CultureAP US GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Presentation Outline 1) American Political Culture
2) Comparing political cultures
3) Political Socialization
4) Trends in American Political Culture
1) American Political Culture Overall set of values widely shared within a society. “General political attitudes and orientations of a population”
“Patterned set of beliefs and assumptions about how the political process should operate”
American View of the Political System
Liberty: “My freedom ends where yours begins” Equality: Equal before the law;“American Dream” of becoming President
Democracy: “By the people, for the people, and of the people.”
Civic Duty: Volunteer and help out (Reagan’s fire brigade story)
Individualism: Take responsibility. Don’t blame the system.
“All the causes which contribute to the maintenance of the democratic republic in the United States are reducible to three heads:—I. The peculiar and accidental situation in which Providence has placed the Americans.II. The laws.III. The manners and customs of the people.”
American View of the Economic System
Free Enterprise Democracy = Capitalism Communism/Socialism evil Equality of Opportunity; Not Equality of Condition (Results)
American View of Religion
Very religious Protestant roots Separation of Church and State eroding
1. Prayer in School
2. Public funding of religious schools
3. Religious clubs in public schools See Culture War (pp. 90 – 92)
2) Comparing political cultures
Comparison to Great Britain
Deference: respect for tradition and authority
Tradition: Royalty Class Consciousness: noblesse oblige Equality of Condition Welfare State Christian but not religious Political compromise
Comparison to France
Mistrust of government: thanks to the French Revolution
Sharp left and right divide (left wing vs. right wing)
Catholic but not religious Welfare state Equality of condition
3)Political Socialization “The way children [and others] are introduced to the values and attitudes of their society”
Sources which “develop, reinforce, and transform” political culture
Direct: Conscious inculcation Indirect: By example Ongoing process
AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION
Family Children same party as parents, but declining Crossovers are independents Party identification higher than beliefs
How party identification is passed down
Democrat Independent Republican
Both parents are Democrats
59 29 13
Both parents are independent
17 67 16
Both parents are republicans
12 29 59
Religion Catholics more economically liberal than White Protestants
Jews more economically and politically liberal than Protestants or Catholics
Christian Coalition/Moral Majority: Abortion, prayer in schools
Peers Friends Cliques University clubs play an important role here
Occupation Unions Professionalization: Identifying with one’s profession
American Medical Association
School Engrain civic duty College makes people more liberal New and more ideas Liberal professors College bound predilection towards liberalism More degrees, more liberal
Mass Media Liberal media Conservative media
Contact with Governmental Structures
Opinions shaped by positive or negative dealings with:
Tax authorities School Officials Police
Region Northern Liberals Southern Conservatives New England independents Texas conservative California liberal but anti-immigrant
Class Most Americans are middle class Not important voting factor Other issues (abortion, prayer, arms control, environmentalism) more important
4) TRENDS IN AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE
Mistrust of Government “Throw the rascals out” Politicians are corrupt
Political Efficacy “capacity to understand and influence political events”
“My vote doesn’t matter” Internal Efficacy stayed the same: Politics is confusing
External Efficacy decreased but higher than Europe
Political Tolerance Do Americans really believe in Free Speech? Abstract versus Concrete Political Tolerance increasing?
Crosscutting Cleavages “Divisions within society that make groups more heterogeneous.”
Differences do not reinforce each other Lessens the importance of these differences Multiple allegiances