Aim: What is Political Culture?

1. Aim: What is Political Culture? Do Now: Who are you? What are you?

2. Culture: • The way of life of a group of people • Subculture: A culture that is part of the mainstream culture, but differs in certain ways. • What are the characteristics of American culture?

3. Political Culture: • A distinctive and patterned way of thinking about how political and economic life ought to be carried out. • What is the difference between political culture and political ideology?

4. Ideology refers to policies government ought to pursue, but culture refers to a common belief about government and how it should operate. • However, some ideologies are so far off the spectrum that they may embody a different culture entirely – a political counterculture. • Counterculture – A type of subculture which opposes the mainstream culture and may advocate its destruction or elimination

5. What are the Characteristics of American Political Culture? • Liberty: the protecting of rights • Equality: equal vote and equal opportunity • Democracy: govt. officials should be accountable to the people • Civic Duty: people are part of a community and have a responsibility to it • Individual Responsibility: Individuals are responsible for their own actions and well-being.

6. Issues and Events in American History: • The Civil War • Slavery • Segregation • Labor Riots • Poverty • How can our tumultuous history be reconciled with American values?

7. Religion • According to polls, The United States is a religious nation • Although we have separation of church and state, religion plays a major role in our political culture and political decision making

8. Polling Data Do you agree or disagree with this statement? - Religion is very important to me in my daily life.

9. Religiosity in The United States

11. Importance of Religion by State

12. Where does our Political Culture come from? • The American Revolution • Desires for balance of personal liberty and social control • Mistrust of authority • The Constitution and Federalism • Thwarting the depraved nature of man • Trust in political change • Religious Diversity • Lack of an established religion • Competing moral and ethical standards • Protestant Work Ethic: Based on the works of Max Weber – People should serve God through hard work, diligence, and restraint. - Lack of Class Consciousness: belief that you belong to an economic group opposed to others in other groups (i.e. workers v. management) - Horatio Alger • The Family - The vehicle by which culture is transmitted – characteristics of the American family promote American values

13. Conclusion: • What does it mean to be a “real American?”