POLS 207: State & Local Gov't - Political Ideology & Political Culture

Flashcards covering key concepts of political ideology and political culture, including governmental roles, economic and social continuums, ideological labels, and Daniel Elazar's classifications of political culture with a focus on Texas.

Political Ideology

A set of beliefs and a general philosophy about politics and government, including what government should do, distinct from party affiliation.

Totalitarianism

Unlimited government power, often extending control over society through friends, neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and family.

Anarchism

The absence of government and government power.

Socialism

An economic system where society, through government, owns and controls the provision of basic goods and services, promoting equality among individuals.

Capitalism

An economic system where individuals own and control the provision of basic goods and services, emphasizing efficiency for those who can participate in the market.

Social Freedom

A value that prioritizes individual liberties, even if it comes at the expense of an orderly society.

Social Order

A value that prioritizes public safety and decency above individual freedom and expression.

Conservative

An ideological label valuing social order and economic efficiency, advocating for government regulation of social choices but not economic ones.

Liberal

An ideological label valuing social freedom and economic equality, advocating for government intervention in the economy to promote individual welfare but not restriction of social choices.

Libertarian

An ideological label valuing social freedom and economic efficiency, emphasizing individual autonomy and a minimalist role for government primarily to protect people, property, and enforce contracts.

Populist

An ideological label valuing government intervention in the economy to benefit 'average citizens' against the wealthy and powerful, with interventions conforming to traditional moral and social values while emphasizing individualism and property rights.

Political Culture

A shared framework of identifiable values, beliefs, and habits related to government and politics, which is resilient over time despite socioeconomic changes and migrations.

Daniel Elazar

A political scientist who developed a theory classifying U.S. political cultures into Individualistic, Moralistic, and Traditionalistic types, based on the cultural values of immigrant settlement patterns.

Individualistic Political Culture

Elazar's classification emphasizing individual initiative and the market, where government's role is to protect individual rights and make way for individual endeavors, often tolerating corruption.

Moralistic Political Culture

Elazar's classification where government is seen as a positive force for good, advancing the public interest, with citizens having a duty to participate in politics and corruption being intolerable.

Traditionalistic Political Culture

Elazar's classification where government primarily serves the elites who created it to maintain existing social and economic hierarchies, with politicians typically from elite backgrounds.

Texas Political Culture

A hybrid political culture, predominantly Traditionalistic (due to one-party rule, low voter turnout, conservatism) and Individualistic (due to strong support for private business and opposition to 'big government').

Hallmarks of Texas Political Culture

Characterized by conservatism, general hostility to government, economic individualism, traditionalistic social views, a prominent role for business, and the use of government to preserve 'traditional values'.