Unit 4: Political Culture and Participation

Civil Society

the ability of citizens to form groups outside the government’s control

• interest groups are an example of civil society organizations as they bring like-minded individuals together to achieve a goal

• Attempt to influence government and most claim to represent clearly defined interests that members share

• citizens join these groups to amplify their voices beyond what a single individual can accomplish in the political process

Social capital

networks, norms, and trust that enable people to work together and cooperate for mutual benefit

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

Independent, nonprofit groups that work outside of government to address social, political, economic, or environmental issues, often influencing policy, providing services, or promoting civic participation

• Groups not run by the government that work to solve social, political, or environmental problems

• some systems may require they register with the government so they can be monitored

Political culture

a set of widely held attitudes, values, and beliefs about government and politics

• provides people ways to understand the inner workings of the political system

• can change relatively slowly as it is deeply embedded in a society through cultural and religious institutions

• how states interact with citizens has an impact on political culture

• this is partly a result of political socialization

• understanding this for a state helps to explain behavior at the broadest level but individual beliefs also impact government and politics

political socialization

the process through which an individual learns about politics and is taught about society’s common political values and beliefs

• a lifelong process

• agents include families, schools, peers, religion, the government, and the media

subcultures

distinct political cultures of particular groups

• exist in all societies

postmaterialism

a set of values in a society in which most citizens are economically secure enough to move beyond immediate economic (materials) concerns to “quality of life” issues like human rights, civil rights, women’s rights, environmentalism, and moral values

individualism

the belief that people should be free to make their own decisions and that the government should not unnecessarily regulate individual behavior or restrict civil liberties

• Democratic states such as the Uk are more draw to this type of belief system

political ideology

an individual’s set of beliefs and values about the government, politics, and policies

• typically, are deeply held, because they include a person's worldview and ideas about the role of government

• varied in their political and economic hybridization

neoliberalism

broader belief in limiting government intervention in the economy (difference from individualism)

• emphasizes freedom

• similar to individualism because both beliefs emphasize freedom

• focuses on free trade, deregulation, eliminating states subsidies, and privatizing business

• believe that government intervention is ineffective and harmful

• government shouldn’t intervene in private lives either

• minimizing intervention in the free market to maximize greater generational wealth

• favor cutting back most government regulations

• opposed to statism

statism

the belief that the state (government) should have strong control over social and economic affairs, often more than individual or private actors.

• emphasizes central authority

communism

a political ideology that advocates state ownership of all property, with the government exercising complete control over the economy

• Karl Marx ideas formed the basis of Communism

• wanted class systems to fade away so everyone was on the same playing field. This would also work by having the government control the economy

• Based off Marx’s idea but ultimately referred to as Marx’s-Lenin’s 

• eventually due to the fighting (Bolshevik’s revolution in 1917) led to the growth of an authoritarian ruler

• places lives and will of the elite over the interests of the people

socialism (primarily an economic ideology)

a political ideology that, depending on the country, sits in varying degrees between neoliberalism and communism

• economic equality is a core value along with belief that government ownership of the major means of production is a way to reduce income inequality within the state

• government heavily intervenes to reduce the growing gap between the economic classes

• individualism still own businesses and industries (steel, energy, coal, and telecommunications) but key business may be nationalized

• some of the countries in the west often have extensive welfare which is similar to ideas in the US

fascism

a political ideology that relies upon a strong sense of nationalism to support authoritarian rule

• there is strong authoritarian rule, with severe restrictions on civil rights and liberties, including civil societies

• strong focus on ethnic and political majorities (will be on top) — Nazis during WW2

• rights of ethnic and political majorities are favored, and the rights of minorities are oppressed

• openly embraces the idea of a total state control over the people lives

• places lives and will of the elite over the interests of the people

populism

the ideology that the government should put the rights and interests of the common people above the elites

• idea that the people shouldn’t trust the elites because they are unpatriotic and corrupt, that the country faces a crisis, that the media experts cannot be trusted, and that only a strong leader can save the country

• race, ethnicity, and gender can be powerful sources of movements

coercion

when a government uses forces or threats to pressure people into engaging in political activities that support the regime

• this is a type of forced political participation

formal political participation

includes activities such as voting in elections and/or referendums, contacting government officials, joining interests’ groups or political parties, working on a campaign, or donating money to a cause or candidate

• different regimes hold elections (voting) to give citizens a sense of political efficacy and increase legitimacy

• Social media: all citizens to participate in politics

referendums

policy issues sent but the government to the voters for elective purposes

• used in democratic and authoritarian regimes

• allow citizens a direct pathway into policymaking

• used mostly in state/local politics

• some states executives use this as a way to circumvent the legislature by taking an issue directly to the voters (issue is either too difficult or unpopular with government officials)

informal political participation

includes civil disobedience, protests, and political violence, including terrorism

• civil disobedience

• protests

civil disobedience

internationally breaking the law to call attention to government policies

• occurs in both democratic and authoritarian state

protests

public demonstrations against a policy or in response to an event, often targeting the government

• usually put down by authoritarian governments or people don’t go through with it as they known the responses, but sometimes the government will set up the protests to favor them

• democratic is most likely to happen without or sometimes with a permit

• as long as this can comply with reasonable restrictions, they are constitutionally protected activities as long as they don’t become violent

political violence

the use of physical force by non-state actors for political ends

• an example of informal political participation

terrorism

political violence or the threat of violence that deliberately targets civilians to influence the behavior and actions of the government

• attacks on civilians are the key distinction between terrorism and other forms of political violence

• try to sow fear in a general population through random acts of violence to influence a particular government or population

civil liberties

fundamental rights and freedoms protected from infringements but the government, including freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and the right to peaceably assemble

• include due process of law which guarantees protection in the legal system

• the entire bill of rights can’t be taken away from the people

• ex: due process is equal protection under the law (government will not be arbitrary) — rule of law

• government can add protections to groups that are being discriminated against

• freedom of expression is one of the important as it encourages political discussion and debate and is a way of holding the government accountable

civil rights

positive actions taken by the government to prevent people from being discriminated against when engaging in fundamental political actions, such as voting

• protects individuals against discrimination based on their membership in a particular group (ethnic and religious minorities)

• not clearly defined

social movements (type of civil right)

large, often loosely organized groups organized to advocate for political change

• focus on civil rights advocate for legal rights at least equal to those of other citizens

cleavages

divisions within a society that may weaken a society’s strength by emphasizing disagreements and discrepancies between groups

• social and political cleavages can/may overlap

• this can weaken state sovereignty due to excessive division

social cleavages

divisons based upon ethnicity, race, religion, class, or territory

political cleavages

divisions based on different ideas about the role of government and goals of policymaking

ethnic groups/ethnicity

united by one or more cultural attributes or a sense of common history (shaped by time)

• used to categorize and characterize seemingly distinct populations

• categorize groups based on a shared culture such as language, traditions, and customs

• due to wanting separate representation or division, ethnic cleavages can form

race

a group of people socially define on the basis of perceived common physical characteristics

• mostly based on perception rather than scientific differences

• based on characteristics like skin color and physical features

• used to categorize and characterize seemingly distinct populations

social class

a group of people who perceive themselves sharing a social status based in a common level of wealth, income type of work, or education

cross cutting cleavages

describes when groups on one cleavage overlap with groups on another cleavage

• social differences cut one another and groups that share common interest on one issue may be on different sides on another issue

• can reduce prejudice, weaken ethnic voting, and mitigate ethnic conflict

Racial cleavages

Divisions between people based off of their race

• groups in a minority or subordinate position are more likely to view their political interests as tied to their racial identity, in part because they have faced discrimination

• racial classification has given some races more power than others starting divisions and tension

• recognition generally comes in the form of official acknowledgement of the race as a socially important group