POLS 207: Political Ideology & Political Culture

Vocabulary flashcards covering political ideology, public power/economic continuums, ideological labels, and Daniel Elazar's political culture classifications from Dr. Megan K. Dyer's POLS 207 lecture at Texas A&M University.

Political Ideology

A set of assumptions about how the social world works, as well as a set of beliefs and general philosophy about politics, government, and what government should do.

Public Goods

Services available to everyone, such as public schools, or services that the market is unable or unwilling to provide, such as parks and public order.

Totalitarianism

A concept on the continuum of public power defined by unlimited government power, where society (friends, neighbors, family, etc.) is often commandeered by the state to maintain control.

Anarchism

A concept on the continuum of public power defined by the complete absence of government and government power.

Socialism

An economic continuum position where society, through government, owns and controls the provision of basic goods and services to promote equality of individuals.

Capitalism

An economic continuum position where individuals own and control the provision of basic goods and what is done with them, delivering efficiency for market participants.

Social Freedom

A value on the social order continuum that prioritizes individual liberties and places the individual first, even at the expense of having an orderly society.

Social Order

A value on the social order continuum that prioritizes public safety and decency above individual freedom and expression, placing society first.

Conservative

An ideological label for those who highly value social order and economic efficiency, holding that government should regulate social choices but not economic ones.

Liberal

An ideological label for those who highly value social freedom and economic equality, holding that government should not restrict social choices but should intervene in the economy to promote individual welfare.

Libertarian

An ideological label for those who highly value social freedom and economic efficiency, stressing individual autonomy and a minimalist role for government limited to protecting people, property, and enforcing contracts.

Populist

An ideological label for those who value government intervention in the economy to benefit average citizens against the wealthy and powerful, while ensuring interventions conform to traditional moral and social values.

Political Culture

A shared framework of identifiable values, beliefs, and habits related to government and politics that is resilient over time and not reducible to demographic or socioeconomic factors.

Daniel Elazar

A political scientist (1934–1999) who created a causal theory explaining regional ideological uniformity in the U.S. through distinct immigrant settlement patterns and subsequent migrations.

Individualistic Political Culture

Elazar's classification emphasizing individual initiative and the market, where government should not get in the way, material self-interest motivates political involvement, and corruption is tolerated.

Moralistic Political Culture

Elazar's classification viewing government as a positive force for good that advances the public interest and commonwealth, where citizens have a duty to serve and corruption is not tolerated.

Traditionalistic Political Culture

Elazar's classification where government serves political elites to maintain the existing social order and economic hierarchy, with politics centered on rival elite factions.

Hybrid Political Culture

A state political culture displaying elements of more than one of Elazar's classifications due to internal migrations and shifting social and economic power bases.

Texas Political Culture

A hybrid political culture combining traditionalistic elements (history of one-party rule, low voter turnout, social conservatism) and individualistic elements (support for private business, faith in individual initiative, opposition to big government).

"Come and Take It" Banner

An iconic historical banner representing Texas's long-held, ferocious dislike for being told what to do by external governing authorities.