Political Culture

Introducing Political Culture

• Political culture is complex and hard to represent fully.
• There are many books on American political culture with common and differing themes.
• Generalizations can provide helpful insights.

Political Culture: Introduction

• Political culture includes the general spirit and values of a population.
• It deals with the deep ideas, beliefs, and principles held by most people.
• Political culture is relatively stable, embedded, and foundational, unlike public opinion.

American Political Culture

• The US is diverse, lacking a common heritage, so it is united by political culture:
  • Broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how the government should function.
• American political culture emphasizes:
  • Liberty
  • Equality
  • Democracy

American Political Culture: Equality

• The Declaration of Independence declares that “all men are created equal.”
• Principles of equality include:
  • Equality of opportunity: everyone should have the freedom to reach their full potential.
  • Political equality: equal participation in politics, “one person, one vote.”

American Political Culture: Liberty

• Liberty is freedom from government control, including personal and economic freedoms.
• It is related to limited government:
  • Limited by the Constitution (supreme law).
  • Limited by popular will (democracy).
  • Divided within (separate branches and levels).
• Laissez-faire capitalism: free-market system with limited government interference.

American Political Culture: Democracy

• In a democracy:
  • People choose their rulers and influence their actions.
  • People participate in governance.
• Popular sovereignty: political authority rests with the people.
• Government follows the majority but protects minority rights, called majority rule, minority rights.

Where Americans May Differ

• The Meaning of Equality:
  • Americans tend to lean away from equality of result.
  • Some Americans do not accept racial or sexual equality.
• Limits of Freedom – Americans are divided on their commitment to the freedom of expression, religion, and assembly, to mention a few.
• Majority Rule versus Minority Rights – Americans disagree on the limits that should be placed on the right to vote and whether or not minorities should be president.
• Free Enterprise in Practice – Americans are divided over their concern about business practices and the degree to which businesses should be regulated.
• Political Ideologies:
  • Many Americans do not think about politics in ideologically coherent terms.
  • Americans are either not familiar with the basic notion of liberalism versus conservatism or have incorrect conceptions of what these terms mean.
  • Americans tend to respond to political issues on an individual basis or act as an echo chamber, responding to politicians at the level on which they are addressed.

Core Beliefs About Government

• Government: institutions and procedures through which a territory and its people are ruled.
• Two questions:
  1. Who governs? Who benefits?
  2. How much power is granted to the government and to the people?

Functions of Government: Structure and Welfare

• Government creates a structure for goods and services, raising money through taxes.

Government As a Regulating Agency

• Governments make laws to maintain order and ensure efficient functioning, including fair business and law enforcement.
• Congress regulates banking, finance, commerce, construction, energy, etc.

Government As a Guarantor of Rights and Liberties

• Government provides ways for citizens to participate:
  • Voting and elections
  • Free speech and freedom of assembly
  • Freedom of the press
  • Freedom of assembly and petitioning
• Often, there are trade-offs such as liberty vs. security and freedom vs. fairness.

Central Questions in Studying American Political Culture

• Levels of trust in government.
• Levels of political participation.
• Levels of political knowledge.
• Political Efficacy: belief in ability to influence government.

Importance of Trust to Government

• Without trust, government cannot function effectively.
• The public may refuse to pay taxes for needed programs.
• People become disinterested and uninvolved, and democracy weakens.
• Government may be unable to attract workers.
• It becomes more difficult to defend national interests.
• Economy and national security and national identity may be jeopardized.

What Americans Think about Government: Trust

• Trust in government has declined significantly.
• In the early 1960s, \frac{3}{4} of Americans trusted the government.
• Trust spiked after 9/11 but fell back to pre-attack levels within 3 years.
• In 2015, only 19 \% of Americans trusted the government.

American Political Culture, Paradoxes: Lack of Trust and Pride

• Americans are more confident and patriotic about their political institutions compared to other countries.
• Political culture can have inconsistent trends simultaneously.

Confidence in Public Institutions

• Americans express greater confidence in their country’s institutions than other democratic countries.

Beliefs and Expectations About Government

• Americans expect a lot from their government:
  • Safety without infringing on liberty and privacy.
  • Support for the vulnerable and infrastructure while keeping taxes low.
  • A healthy environment and business growth.
  • Small government, but effective crisis management.

Aspects of American Political Culture

• Importance of democracy, participation, knowledge, and efficacy.

Democracy, Citizenship, Participation, Knowledge, and Political Efficacy

• Political knowledge is key for political participation and a healthy democracy.
• Political knowledge: information about government, history, actors, rights, and issues.
• Democracy functions best when citizens are informed!

Citizenship Theory: Knowledge and Participation

• Ancient Greeks: citizenship means enlightened engagement and deliberation.
• Citizens must be aware of facts and solutions, and take action.
• Not to be confused with contemporary definitions (native born, naturalized).

Varieties of citizenship

• Ancient Greek: citizenship means extensive involvement in democracy.
• The U.S. encourages participation but does not define citizenship this way.

What Americans Think About Government

• Political Efficacy: perception that one can influence government.
• 1960: 25 \% said officials didn’t care what citizens thought.
• 2009: 59 \% said officials didn’t care.
• Political efficacy has been declining.

What Do American Know About Government: Political Knowledge

• Most Americans have limited political knowledge.
• Political knowledge is associated with efficacy and trust.
• Those with limited knowledge:
  • May rely on sound bites.
  • Be subject to manipulation.
  • Have insufficient resources to study issues.

What Americans Know about Government

• Respondents who could identify all three branches of government: 26 \%.
• Knew Congress has the power to declare war: 54 \%.
• Knew Congress has the power to raise taxes: 83 \%.
• Knew Congress cannot establish an official religion of the U.S.: 77 \%.
• Could not name any of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment: 37 \%.
• In 2016, could name the Republican vice-presidential candidate (Mike Pence): 37 \%.
• In 2016, could name the Democratic vice-presidential candidate (Tim Kaine): 22 \%.

Importance of Political Participation and Civic Engagement

• Emphasizing political participation and civic engagement.
• Civic engagement can increase the power of ordinary people to influence government actions
• Even those without money or connections can influence the policies that affect their lives
• The U.S. history has many examples of people actively challenging the power of elites, affecting public affairs, gaining rights for themselves, and protecting their interests and others (i.e. social and grass-roots movements)
• The rights and issues advocated by the activists have dramatically improved the quality of life for many in the U.S.

Political participation

• Various forms of civic engagement that help to realize the ideals of democracy:
  • Voting
  • Driving voters to the polls, sponsoring voter registration drives
  • Demonstration, protest, boycott, and civic disobedience
  • Petitioning
  • Letter writing to public representatives
  • Legal action
  • Online activity
  • Responding to surveys, blogs, and expressing opinions on social media
  • Attending political rallies
  • Donating to campaigns
  • Fundraising for a cause
  • Grassroots and community organizing
  • Volunteering

Increasing knowledge and participation through digital citizenship

• It is argued the internet can facilitate the acquisition of political knowledge. What do you think, do you agree with this?
• Digital citizenship: refers to using the internet, social media, and other information technology to engage in society and government
• It is argued that digital citizens are more likely to:
  • be interested in politics
  • discuss politics with friends, family, and coworkers