Political+Culture


 * Political Culture **


 * Culture is the full range of learned human behavior patterns, therefore __political culture__ is defined by the Internation Encyclopedia of Social Sciences as, “ the set of attitudes, beliefs and sentiments which give order and meaning to a [|political] process and which provide the underlying assumptions and rules that govern behavior in the [|political system] .” More simply put, it is how a society generally feels about a system of government and what that society believes should be the role of that government in protecting the people. **


 * An example of political culture in American society is the way that Americans feel that citizens should be equal socially but not necessarily economically, because of the capitalist system in which we live. **


 * What are some aspects of political culture in the United States? **
 * Liberty, civic duty, equality, democracy, nationality, and capitalism are aspects of the American ideals of what elements a good government should have. Americans generally believe that each citizen should be given equal freedoms, and with these freedoms they should protect them by fulfilling certain civic duties or responsibilities like voting, jury duty, and being a law abiding citizen. Because each citizen takes pride in their country (nationalism) they want the country to do well so they participate and follow the rules. **


 * If the basic political culture is similar, why are there political differences within American society? **
 * Because different groups of people have different ideas as to how significantly/insignificantly the elements of political culture should influence policy decisions. For example, some may feel that measures should be made to increase taxes on the wealthy so the middle and lower class have to pay less, thus making everyone more equal. Others may feel that this is unfair and infringes on the individual freedoms of people in our society. **


 * How is the American political culture different from other political cultures? **
 * In general Americans are more skeptical of the government, as this was how our very nation was formed. Many citizens see the government as a __“necessary evil”__ that is good for the whole as individual freedoms need to be protected but in itself is full of corruption and unfairness. In James Madison’s Federalist Paper number 51 he stated that governments are needed because individuals are self seeking and will act in detriment of others to help themselves. **


 * United States citizens also have a growing feeling of __political efficacy__, or the belief that their actions have little influence on the government. This can be seen through the decline in the amount of people voting in elections. In fact, the percentage of people in the U.S. who are eligible to vote and actually go to the polls and fulfill their civic duty is far less than in other countries. There are many reasons for this including this general feeling of political efficacy but another is certainly that many Americans have a lack of political knowledge. For example, most citizens know little about their representatives in congress and senate or even about foreign policy in general. **


 * Who was Alexis de Tocqueville? **
 * Alexis de Tocqueville was an early observer of political culture in the US. He questioned why democracy seemed to work so well in America, but so poorly in France. He observed several things that made America better suited for a democratic style of government including abundant land for people to use, many opportunities, and the lack of a monarchy that would squash the independent spirit needed for frontier living. **


 * How does religion influence political culture? **
 * Although America does have separation of church and state, unlike many European countries, religion still plays a huge part in defining the beliefs and ideals that make up the political culture of the U.S. Both republicans and democrats use religion as a way to justify their political ideals. For example conservatives oppose both gay marraige and abortion and use the bible as a basis for these beliefs. **


 * Vocabulary: **
 * Culture: t he full range of learned human behavior patterns **


 * Political Culture: the set of attitudes, beliefs and sentiments which give order and meaning to a [|political] process and which provide the underlying assumptions and rules that govern behavior in the [|political system] **


 * Political System: the member of a social organization who are in power **


 * Necessary Evil: something that isn’t good, but is needed **


 * Political Efficacy: t he amount of impact citizens feel or believe they have upon their government **


 * Review Questions: **
 * Q: What effect does political efficacy have on politcal culture in the U.S.? **


 * A: Political efficacy causes Americans to have a lower voting rate, and because people may feel that their opinion matters very little in the government they may not take the time to learn about our political system. **


 * Q: In which ways is American political culture different from that of other countries? **


 * A: Americans are generally more skeptical of the government than people of other nations, also citizens of other nations may have a greater sense of political efficacy. **


 * Q: What role does religion play in political culture? **


 * A: Religion is used by both liberals and conservatives to justify their political ideals. **


 * Q: Give an example of political culture **


 * A: Most Americans feel that citizens should be equal socially but not necessarily economically, as long as everyone is given the same opportunities. **


 * Q: How is political culture defined? **
 * A: It is defined as the set of attitudes, beliefs and sentiments which give order and meaning to a [|political] process and which provide the underlying assumptions and rules that govern behavior in the political system **


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