Study of American Government American Political Culture

1. Study of American GovernmentAmerican Political Culture Chapter 1 P. 1-15 Chapter 4 P. 75-96

2. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. Federalist No. 51 James Madison Chapter 1 P. 1-15 The Study of American Government

3. Who governs? To what ends? • Power • Ability of one person to get another person to act in accordance with the first person’s intentions • Found in all human relationships • Authority • The right to use power • Comes with a title • Mother/father • Teacher • Police officer • President, senator, congressman • Legitimacy • What makes a law or constitution a source of right • First presidential administrations • Washington, Adams, Jefferson • Preoccupied with disputes as to what was legitimate for the federal government to do

4. Definitions Democracy

5. Democracy • Democracy • Two meanings • Direct/participatory democracy • Greek city-state • Representative democracy • U.S.A.

6. Direct Democracy • Aristotle’s definition • Direct/participatory democracy • “Rule of the many” • When all or most citizens participate directly in either holding office or making policy • Greek city-states • New England town meeting

7. Representative Democracy • Representative democracy • Government in which leaders make decisions by winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote • Framers strongly favored this over direct democracy • Republican form of government • Joseph Schumpeter’s definition • Leaders acquire power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for people’s vote • U.S. and most nations who call themselves democratic • Elitist theory • Disapproving term for representative democracy • Impractical due to limits of time, information, energy and interest for people to make policy • Framers believed in direct democracy likely to lead to bad decisions

8. The Framers’ View • Government would mediate, nor mirror, popular views • People were viewed as lacking knowledge and susceptible to manipulation • Framers’ goal • To minimize the abuse of power by a tyrannical majority or by officeholders

9. Four Theories of Who Governs • Marxist theory • Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto • Those who own the means of production, controlling the economic system, will control the government • Capitalists vs. workers • Bourgeoisie vs. proletariat • Government is a reflection of underlying economic forces • Non-governmental/power élite theory • C. Wright Mills, The Power Élite • Three groups control political decisions • Corporate leaders • Military officers • Political leaders • Bureaucratic theory • Max Weber • Appointed officials in government control the decision making without consulting the public • Pluralist theory • Many élites haggle over decision making • Competition among affected interests shapes public policy decision-making • No one group dominates—many élites • Politicians, business people, union leaders, journalists, professors, lawyers, journalists

10. Democracy • Élite • Identifiable group that has a disproportionate share of power • Elitism • A few top leaders, drawn from the major sectors of the United States polity, will make all important decisions • Majoritarian politics • Leaders are delegates of people and follow closely the preferences of the people, acting accordingly • Issues handled in this fashion command the attention of most citizens • Abortion, prayer in schools, gay marriage, gun control, war • Community control • System in which local citizens govern themselves directly • Citizen participation • System in which those affected by a government program must be allowed to participate in the program’s formulation • Political power • Power used to determine • Who holds government office or • How government will behave

11. Political Preferences • Determined by • Economic position • Organizational position • Attitudes • Allies • Temper of the times • Belief in the common good • Public-spirited behavior

12. Factors that shaped American government • Economic interests • Powerful elites • Entrenched bureaucrats • Competing pressure groups • Morally impassioned individuals • Complex and sometimes sudden changes in elite and mass beliefs about what government is supposed to do

13. Shifts in the Character of Government • 1920s • Federal government played a small role • 1930s through 1970s • Federal government would try to solve whatever social or economic problems existed • 1981-1988 • Reagan attempted to reverse that assumption and cut back on taxes

14. Chapter 4 P. 75-96 American Political Culture Alexis de Tocqueville

15. Political Culture • Political Culture • A distinctive and patterned way of thinking about how government should operate • Political system and • Economic life • Political sub-culture • Distinctive • Regions • Religions • Ethnic groups • Political ideology • More or less consistent sets of views concerning • What government should do • What policies government ought to pursue

16. Alexis de Tocqueville • Came to U.S. to study prison system • Democracy in America 1835-1840 • Analysis of the American political culture • Perceptive account of American life and politics • “Americans…are fond of explaining almost all the actions of their lives by the principle of self-interest rightly understood…In this respect I think they frequently fail to do themselves justice; for in the United States as well as elsewhere people are sometimes seen to give way to those disinterested and spontaneous impulses that are natural to man: but the Americans seldom admit that they yield to emotions of this kind; they are more anxious to do honor to their philosophy than to themselves.” • Amazed at how religious Americans are

17. American Republic • Reasons the Republic Survived 1787 to present • Constitutional machinery • Rarely survived an ocean crossing • Vast territory • Many opportunities to acquire land and earn a living • No feudal aristocracy • Only minimal taxes • Few legal restrictions • Small independent farmers • Rather than landless peasants • Political culture • Customs of people • Moral and intellectual characteristics • de Tocqueville’s explanation for why America’s democratic institutions persist

18. Elements of the American Political System • Liberty • Americans are preoccupied with rights and freedoms • Equality • Equality of opportunity/chance • Equal vote • People deserve equal treatment • Democracy • Government officials accountable to the people • Civic Duty • One has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs • Give back to the community • Individual Responsibility • Responsible for own actions and well-being • Economic individualism • Self-reliance • Writings of Horatio Alger

19. Values vs. Behavior • Factors that shape behavior • Values • Self interest • Social circumstances • Race relations are an “American dilemma” • Conflict between • American creed—equality of opportunity • Important because it is a source of change • American behavior—denying African-Americans full citizenship • Self-interest vs. public interest

20. “Americanism” • Persistence of the word • American way of life • Un-American • Concern over internal subversion • 1950s House Un-American Activities Committee • Senator Joseph McCarthy • Publicized attacks on alleged communists working in the federal government • No word “Britishism” or “Frenchism” • Subversion is a problem of internal security • Not disloyalty to country Emphasis on creating a shared political culture Schoolchildren taught to salute the flag

21. Economic System • Free-enterprise/capitalism • Limits on freedom in the marketplace • Government regulation of business to • Keep firms from becoming too powerful • Correct specific abuses • More willing to tolerate • Economic inequality than political inequality • All right for people with more ability to earn higher salaries • Support education and training programs to help disadvantaged • Oppose preferential treatment in the workplace • Commitment to individualistic view of social policy • Economic individualism and • Self-reliance • Help only those truly in need

22. Sweden Japan Britain France Italy Germany Comparisons with other nations

24. Political System

25. Role of Religion in American Politics • Religious beliefs play a significant role • Religious ideas fueled the break with England • Religious leaders central to struggle over • Slavery 19th century • Temperance 20th century • Liberals and conservatives use the pulpit to promote change • Civil rights movement 1950s and 1960s • Led by Reverend Martin Luther King • Moral Majority 1970s • School prayer • Ban abortion • Christian Coalition 1990s • Faith-based approaches to solving social ills • 2002 federal appeals court tried to ban “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance • Overwhelming bipartisan condemnation of the ruling

26. American Revolution Religious Diversity Dominance of Protestantism Family Sources of American Political Culture

27. American Revolution • Revolution over liberty • Preoccupation with asserting and maintaining rights • Declaration of Independence 1776 • Adversarial spirit • Animated by a suspicion of government • First political battle • Washington administration • Hamilton/Federalists • Jefferson/Democratic-Republicans • Within a few years • “Loyal opposition” • Opposing party legitimate Alexander Hamilton Thomas Jefferson

28. Religious Diversity • Many religions • Protestants • Puritans—emphasis on • Faith and good works • Thrift • Working hard • Catholics • Devotion to • Sacraments • Priestly authority • Jews • Social justice

29. Dominance of Protestantism • Protestants • Especially the Puritans • Organizational experience resulted in • PARTICIPATION • Congregations taught organization • Beliefs • Protestant work ethic • Work hard • Save money • Obey laws • Do good works

30. Family • Probably the most important source of political values • Culture transmitted through the family • Children enjoy great freedom • Large measure of equality among family members • Promotes beliefs that everyone has rights • Variety of interests have a legitimate claim • Egalitarian family

31. Class Consciousness • Class consciousness • Belief that you are a member of an economic group whose interests are opposed by people in other such groups • Most Americans think of themselves as • MIDDLE CLASS • Religious and ethnic diversity • Individualistic philosophy • Fragmented political authority • Egalitarian family • Absence of class consciousness • Political “cleavages” • Many divides/ splits in the country • Regions • Religions • Ethnic groups • Pluralistic

32. Culture War • Concerns what type of country we ought to live in • Issues do not concern money • Conflict is profound • Compromises are almost impossible • Animated by deep differences over public and private morality • Two opposing camps • Orthodox (social) • Belief that morality and religion ought to be of decisive importance • Morality is based on the unchanging rules of God and is more important than self-expression • Fundamentalist Protestants • Born-again Christians • “the Religious Right” • Progressive (social) • Belief that personal freedom and solving social problems are more important than religion • Secular humanism

33. Culture War Conflicts • Special importance today because of two major changes • Great increase in the proportion of people who consider themselves progressive • Once almost everyone was religiously orthodox • Today few are • Rise of media makes it easy to wage the war on a large scale • Television evangelists • Radio talk-show hosts • Websites • Direct-mail messages

34. Protest Demonstrations • Making trouble • Common feature of American politics • Dates back to colonial days • Boston Tea Party 1773 • Used by both • Liberals and conservatives • Despite disagreements • Americans remain patriotic • Immediate post 9/11/01 • Highest level of trust in government in many years

35. Trust in Government • Since 1950s—a steady decline in proportion of Americans who say they trust the government • 1950s • ¾ of people said they trusted Washington most of the time • 1970s and 1980s trust in government was • Lower than in the 1950s but closer to the norm • Watergate 1974 • ¼ of the people said they trusted Washington • 1980s Reagan • Trust rose briefly • Then sank back by the time he left office • 1952 to 1992 • Americans who said public officials did not care what public thought • Doubled from one third to two thirds

36. Reasons for Decline in Trust • 1960s • Vietnam • Civil rights revolution • 1970s • Watergate • Economic inflation • 1990s Clinton scandals • Impeachment

37. Public Confidence in Institutions • Confidence in Congress, newspapers, churches and the Supreme Court does not change much over time • Congress and Newspapers • Not much confidence • Churches and the Court • A lot of confidence • Support for military and the presidency changes quite a bit • Support for military increased after 9/11 • One of the most respected institutions today

38. Efficacy • Political efficacy • Citizen’s capacity to understand and influence political events • People believe they have a say in what government does • Internal efficacy • Confidence in one’s won abilities to understand and take part in politics • External efficacy • Belief the system will respond to what citizens do

39. Political Tolerance • Citizens learn to tolerate opinions and actions of others • Average citizens • Willing to allow many people with whom they disagree to do a great deal politically • More tolerant over the last decades • Most people may dislike a group enough to want to deny it rights, however • These groups survive because • People do not ACT on beliefs • People cannot agree on which groups to stifle • Liberty must be learned and protected • Tolerance toward political discussion without too much oppression is the minimum requirement of a democracy