Americans and Their political values

Political Efficacy

The belief that ordinary citizens can understand and influence government policy and action.

Link Between Political Knowledge and Political Efficacy

Citizens with higher political knowledge understand how government functions, which makes them feel more capable of influencing policy (higher political efficacy), ultimately leading to higher civic participation.

Direct Democracy

A system of government where citizens vote directly on laws and policies rather than electing representatives to make decisions for them (e.g., ballot initiatives or town hall votes).

Representative Democracy

A system of government where citizens elect officials to write laws and make policy decisions on their behalf (also called a republic).

Shared Core American Political Values

1. Liberty: Freedom from unnecessary government control.

2. Equality: Social and legal equality, particularly equality of opportunity.

3. Democracy: Principle that political power rests with the citizens (popular sovereignty).

Political Culture

The set of broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how government should function and how society operates politically.

Liberal Political Culture

A political culture rooted in classical liberalism, emphasizing individual rights, personal liberty, private property, limited government interference, and rule of law.

American Exceptionalism and Its Connection to Liberal Political Culture

• American Exceptionalism: The belief that the United States is uniquely different from and superior to other nations due to its distinct history, founding principles, and ideology.

• Connection: It relies heavily on American liberal political culture, arguing that the nation was founded on abstract ideals—such as individual liberty and democracy—rather than shared ethnicity or ancestral land.

Alternative Rival Traditions/Cultures in American History

• Civic Republicanism: Focuses on public virtue, community duty, and active participation in civic life over purely individual self-interest.

• Ascriptive Hierarchy (Inegalitarian Tradition): Historical systems (like slavery, segregation, or nativism) that restricted political and social rights based on characteristics like race, gender, or country of origin.

Equality of Opportunity vs. Equality of Outcome

• Equality of Opportunity: Giving every person an equal chance to succeed and compete, regardless of background, without guaranteeing a specific result.

• Equality of Outcome: Seeking equal wealth, resources, or status for everyone in society through government redistribution.

Two Types of Liberty

• Negative Liberty: Freedom from interference—the absence of government constraints or restrictions on individual actions.

• Positive Liberty: Freedom to achieve one's potential—having the actual resources, capability, and support (like education or healthcare) necessary to act.

FDR's Four Freedoms and Their Liberty Types

• Freedom of Speech: Negative Liberty (freedom from government censure).

• Freedom of Worship: Negative Liberty (freedom from government control over religion).

• Freedom from Want: Positive Liberty (securing economic well-being so citizens can live free from poverty).

• Freedom from Fear: Negative Liberty / Protection (freedom from military aggression and oppression).

Pluralist Theory

Political power is distributed among various competing interest groups (unions, business associations, activists).

No single group controls policy; outcomes are created through compromise among interests.

Elite Theory

Political power is concentrated in the hands of a small, wealthy, and influential class.

Corporate, political, and military leaders hold actual power regardless of public elections.

Bureaucratic Theory

Political power resides with unelected government officials and agencies who execute laws day-to-day.

Bureaucrats dictate outcomes through regulations, procedures, and institutional expertise.

Social Movement Theory

Political power comes from organized mass movements of ordinary citizens raising public awareness.

Grassroots organizing forces government leaders to enact change (e.g., the Civil Rights Movement).