US Government

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Political Culture Ideology

• US Government
• Mrs. Lacks

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What is political culture?

• political culture is a reflection of how We, the
  people think our government should operate
• Shared beliefs, values, and norms citizens hold
  about their relationship to govt and each other

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Examples

• Some elements of political culture have changed
  while some have remained constant
• Constant liberty (most cherished)
• Change ideas about suffrage

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Other characteristics of political culture
include

• Liberty
• Patrick Henry
• Taxation without Representation
• Bill of Rights
• Miranda Rights

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Other characteristics of political culture
include

• Democracy
• No man is above the law (Nixon, Watergate)
  called the rule of law
• When government doesnt work we can abolish it
  (Locke)
• Democratic consensus (pop sov, majority rule)

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Other characteristics of political culture
include

• Equality
• Started with TJ
• Not always consistent with policy (slavery,
  schools)
• Political equality all have equal protection
  under the law
• 14th Amendment (citizenship clause, due process
  clause, equal protection clause)
• Social equality or equal opportunity everyone
  has the chance to succeed

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Other characteristics of political culture
include

• Individualism
• Right to make choices
• Must understand since everyone has this right,
  someone has to lose
• Self-reliance (started with Puritans)
• Growing dependence on govt strays from this (ex.
  FDRs New Deal, LBJs Great Society, Obamas
  bailouts)

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Other characteristics of political culture
include

• Civic Duty/Obligation
• Registering to vote
• Being informed
• Voting
• College acceptance often determined in part by
  civic duty

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Other characteristics of political culture
include

• Social Capital
• People coming together, listening to each other,
  exchanging ideas
• Clubs, meetings, belonging
• Important to strengthen communities, get new
  perspective
• Examples neighborhood watch, town council, local
  DAR chapter, even little league
• Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone

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Other characteristics of political culture
include

• Suffrage
• Originally only white, property owning men, 21 or
  older (1/6th of white men)
• Elimination of property rights all men over 21
  (A. Jackson)
• 15th Amendment all black men (Reconstruction
  Era)
• 19th Amendment all women (Progressive Era)
• 26th Amendment all citizens 18 (Vietnam War)

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Other characteristics of political culture
include

• Political Efficacy
• understanding the issues, becoming engaged in the
  political system with the intent of making a
  difference
• responsibility with universal suffrage

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Political Ideology

• Refers to a constant pattern of ideas or beliefs
  about political values and the role of
  government, including how it should work and how
  it actually does work
• Two major schools of ideology dominate American
  politics liberalism and conservatism
• Two minor schools are also prevalent socialism
  and libertarianism

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Liberals vs. Conservatives

• Major difference is the size/scope of government
  (personal liberty vs social equality)
• For example, should an individual who works hard
  and earns a fortune be expected to pay additional
  taxes so a less fortunate, also hardworking,
  individual receives health care at no expense?
  Does this cause the demise of Puritan Work Ethic?
  (called the Protestant ethic by political
  philosopher Max Weber)

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Classic Liberalism

• Favored limited government, promoted
  individualism
• Overtime this has changed significantly in US
• US is backwards from rest of the world in terms
  of labeling parties

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Liberals

• Government intervention in the economy is
  necessary to remedy the defects of capitalism
• Equal access to health care, housing, education
• Affirmative action
• Pro-union
• Government should control/correct social issues
• Reduce inequalities of wealth (maintain minimum
  level of income) stipends, technology, etc.
• Cut defense spending
• Favor raising taxes to pay for government
  programs

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Presidential History

• Most liberal presidents (dems)
• Andrew Jackson
• Franklin D Roosevelt
• Barack H Obama
• Moderate presidents (still dems)
• Harry Truman
• Bill Clinton

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Criticism of Liberalism

• Rely too much on govt to solve nations problems
• Higher taxes hurt the average American
• Govt has to be limited to serve our best
  interests
• Power tends to corrupt
• Undermine self-reliance/competitive spirit
• Welfare will destroy individual initiative

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Conservatives

• Enhance personal liberty by keeping government
  small
• Sole functions of government are to protect us
  from foreign enemies, preserve law order,
  encourage economic growth (free and fair trade)
• Celebrate the individual you decide to make
  what you want out of your life
• Pro-business (trust the private sector to solve
  problems)
• Favor vouchers for schools, choices in health
  benefits, privatizing Social Security, keep
  military strong
• Favor tax cuts

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Social Conservatives

• Focus less on economy, and more on family values
• Represent the Christian right
• Government should act to protect traditional
  morals

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Presidential History

• Conservative
• George Washington (1789-1797)
• James Monroe (1817-1825)
• Grover Cleveland (1885-1889, 1893-1897)
• Warren G. Harding (1921-1923)
• Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)
• Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
• George W. Bush (2001-2009) (with respect to taxes
  and Supreme Court nominations)

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Criticism of Conservatism

• not thinking of the whole
• People who make more should pay more
• fail to deal with social issues like racism and
  sexism
• Criticism of social conservatives US is
  supposed to have freedom of religion separation
  of church and state

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Socialism

• Aka mixed system
• Government controls economy
• Politically free
• Karl Marx (transitional stage from capitalism to
  communism)
• Socialists would
• Nationalize certain industries
• Institute a public jobs program (all who wanted
  to work could)
• Tax the wealthy more heavily
• Reduce spending

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Libertarianism

• Cherishes individual liberty, sharply limited
  government
• Want the government to stay small and far away
• Oppose most government programs
• Favor armed services that would only act if US
  were attacked
• Oppose most government regulation
• Favor massive tax cuts
• live and let live

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Words of caution

• 1. Political labels have different meanings
  across national boundaries as well as over time
• 2. Ideological terms or labels can be confusing -
  You cant lump everyone in the same group
• Ex. You can be social liberal but fiscally
  conservative (how should you vote?)
• Ex. You can be socially conservative but fiscally
  liberal (how should you vote?)

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Distribution of Ideology

• more conservatives than liberals
• very few extreme conservatives or extreme
  liberals (in 2000, only 2 viewed themselves as
  extreme conservatives, only 1 extreme liberals)
• MOST (75) Americans consider themselves moderate
• both major parties target centrist or moderate
  voters in elections

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2012 Election Results
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Ideological Views

• Most Americans do not organize their attitudes
  systematically
• Very low consistency among various attitudes and
  opinions

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Assignments

• 1. Take ideology quizzes (on Weebly)
• On PBS quiz, at the end, click on Social and
  then Economic after you view Overall
• Note Pew Research Center quiz focuses on new
  categories (like the chart on Slide 28)
• On politopia quiz, its ok to put in your email
  for your results
• A. you just need to do this to get your results
  on the next screen
• B. they will never email you
• 2. Philip Converses The Nation of Belief
  Systems in Mass Politics