Political Behavior and Culture

Political Quiz Results

• Number of participants: 73 people have taken this quiz.

  • Groups analyzed:

  • Faith and Flag Conservatives

    • Percent of group members who are 5%

    • Percent of general public who are 1%

    • Percent of group members who are 10% (another measure)

  • Ambivalent Right

    • Percent of group members who are 12%

    • Percent of general public who are 7%

  • Committed Conservatives

    • Percent of group members who are 5%

    • Percent of general public who are 11%

  • Populist Right

    • Percent of group members who are 21%

    • Percent of general public who are 12%

  • Stressed Sideliners

    • Percent of group members who are 15%

    • Percent of general public who are 10%

  • Democratic Mainstays

    • Percent of group members who are 15%

    • Percent of general public who are 10%

  • Establishment Liberals

    • Percent of group members who are 22%

    • Percent of general public who are 16%

  • Progressive Left

    • Percent of group members who are 18%

    • Percent of general public who are 6%

Regional Political Quiz Results

• Number of participants: 214 people have taken this quiz.

  • Groups analyzed:

  • Faith and Flag Conservatives

    • Percent of group members who are 2%

    • Percent of general public who are 10%

  • Committed Conservatives

    • Percent of group members who are 9%

    • Percent of general public (unknown)

  • Populist Right

    • Percent of group members who are 1%

    • Percent of general public who are 7%

  • Ambivalent Right

    • Percent of group members who are 19%

    • Percent of general public who are 11%

  • Stressed Sideliners

    • Percent of group members who are 12%

    • Percent of general public who are 15%

  • Outsider Left

    • Percent of group members who are 16%

    • Percent of general public who are 10%

  • Democratic Mainstays

    • Percent of group members who are 10%

    • Percent of general public who are 10%

  • Establishment Liberals

    • Percent of group members who are 21%

    • Percent of general public who are 16%

  • Progressive Left

    • Percent of group members who are 10%

    • Percent of general public who are 6%

Inquiry into Political Behavior

• Question: Do people agree on how we should live?

• Context: EPPS 3333, authorized by Curtis Bram.

Implications for Political Behavior

• There are two possibilities:

  1. Homogenization:

  • Everyone comes to agree, resulting in peaceful coexistence and similar voting patterns.

  1. Conflict:

  • Disagreement leads to social conflicts.

Modernization Theory

• Security vs. Insecurity:

  • Culture is influenced by people's perception of survival security.

  • Advanced Industrial Countries:

  • Generally experience security and take survival for granted.

  • Shift in values from economic security to free choice and self-development.

Theories of Modernization

• Classic Modernization Theory:

  • Economic development results in predictable changes.

  • Enables increased security by eliminating starvation and improving life expectancy.

Consequences of Insecure Survival

• Under conditions of scarcity:

  • Xenophobia:

  • Seen as realistic; competition for resources between tribes emphasizes a survival of the fittest mentality.

  • Notable example: "when there is just enough land to support one’s tribe, and another tribe moves in, survival may literally be a choice between Us and Them."

Historical Context of Survival

• There is a contrasting experience based on socioeconomic security:

  • Growing up with certain survival implies major shifts in family, job motivations, sexual behaviors, and parenting styles.

Theory Variations: Culture Tightness vs. Looseness

• Tight Cultures:

  • Operate under precarious survival conditions.

  • Autocratic governance, suppression of dissent, strict crime control.

  • Generally exhibit higher levels of religious observation.

• Loose Cultures:

  • Exhibit weaker norms, are more tolerant.

Theories: Health and Disease

• Infectious Disease:

  • Increased vulnerability to disease correlates with collectivism, xenophobia, and lower gender equality support.

Economic Growth Theories: Malthusian Growth Model

• Core Concepts:

  • Human Population & Food Production over Time had limits leading to Malthusian catastrophes.

Current Circumstances

• Broke away from Malthusian growth models:

  • Population numbers increased drastically without a corresponding increase in resource scarcity.

Economic Data Representation

• GDP per capita data shown:

  • Example values related to regional comparisons and historical timelines from 1000 to 2001 for different global regions.

Materialist Battery Overview: Ranking Priorities

• Key priorities include:

  • Maintaining order

  • Combatting rising prices

  • Enhancing citizen decision-making in governance

  • Protecting freedom of speech.

Value Differentiation: Traditional vs. Secular-Rational Values

• Aviation of Traditional vs. Secular-Rational Values categorized across high, middle, and low-income countries

• Comparative analysis drawn from various nations and their value systems in regards to survival vs. self-expression.

Cultural Concerns: Political Institutions and Value Convergence

• Importance of recognizing the implications of cultural divergence on political institutions.

Public Opinion Survey on Threats to American Way of Life

• Key Findings (January 13-15, 2021):

  • Majority of Americans view internal threats as more significant than foreign threats:

  • Domestic enemies and others in the country: 54% - 57% across political lines.

  • Foreign threats: 4% - 8%.

  • Natural factors and economic forces rank lower.