American Political Culture and the American Revolution

Vocabulary flashcards covering key political culture concepts, ideals, historical milestones, and movements from the lecture notes.

Political culture

Deep-seated, widely shared beliefs that shape a nation's politics; the set of ideas considered almost second nature by a people.

Habits of the heart

Tocqueville’s phrase describing enduring beliefs that feel natural and guide behavior in a society.

American Creed

The core ideals of liberty, equality, individualism, and self-government that define American identity.

Great Equalizer

The notion that public education can provide a relatively equal start for children from different backgrounds.

Equality of opportunity

The principle that everyone should have a fair chance to succeed, guiding American educational policy.

Individualism

Emphasis on personal freedom and self-reliance; especially pronounced in the United States.

Self-government

The right of the people to govern themselves; a foundational American ideal.

Declaration of Independence

1776 document asserting universal rights and that all are created equal with unalienable rights.

The American Revolution (mind and hearts)

The idea that revolution began with radical beliefs in thinking, not just arms; beliefs crystallized into action.

Lexington and Concord

1775 battles marking the start of the American Revolution; militiamen vs. regular British troops.

The shot heard round the world

The opening volley at Lexington that symbolized the revolution’s emergence.

Slavery and racial inequality

Contradiction between ideals of liberty and the lived reality of Black Americans and other marginalized groups.

Civil Rights Movement

Mid-20th-century movement to end segregation and achieve racial equality; led to landmark reforms.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Supreme Court ruling that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Law prohibiting discrimination and ending many forms of segregation in public life.

Immigration Act of 1924

Policy that barred most Asian immigration, reflecting racial bias in governance.

Power

The ability to influence policy or control the behavior of others; central to political competition.

Scarcity

Limited resources that create conflict over distribution of benefits and costs.

Values

Deeply held beliefs that differ among people and fuel political conflict when they clash.

Majority rule vs minority rights

Tension between democratic decision-making and the protection of minority rights.

Frontier experience

The vast, uncharted wilderness that shaped American beliefs about liberty and opportunity.

Pledge of Allegiance

Ritual reinforcing national ideals and unity, part of the culture that sustains beliefs.

Abolitionist movement

Movement to end slavery; a significant chapter in America’s struggle for equality.

Suffragist movement

Movement advocating women’s right to vote; integral to expanding equality.