American political culture contains a number of core ideals and values. Not all Americans share the same views, of course, but the vast majority subscribes to these general ideals, including liberty, equality, democracy, individualism, unity, and diversity. Political debates tend to be over how best to achieve these ideals, not over whether these ideals are worth having in the first place. Show
LibertyAmericans today tend to define liberty as the freedom for people to do what they want. We also tend to believe liberty is essential to personal fulfillment and happiness. Nevertheless, liberty must be restrained on some level in order to create a stable society. A widely accepted principle of freedom is that we are free to do whatever we want as long as we do not impinge on other people’s freedom. A limited government is a government that places relatively few restrictions on its citizens’ freedom. There are some things that the government cannot do, such as limit freedom of speech or impose a single religion on its citizens. A limited government usually has a constitution that defines the limits of governmental power. In the United States, the Constitution outlines the structure of government, whereas the Bill of Rights guarantees some of the citizens’ specific liberties. Economic LibertyFor many Americans, liberty includes economic liberty. People should be free to do as they see fit in the economic sphere without government interference. Throughout most of the nineteenth century, the American economy was based on laissez-faire capitalism, an economic system in which the government plays almost no role in producing, distributing, or regulating the production and distribution of goods. Today, people want some governmental intervention in the economy, but most Americans want this intervention to be limited in scope. EqualityAlthough no two people are truly equal, they are considered equal under the law. Some Americans may be poorer than others, and some may have cultural backgrounds different from the majority, but all Americans have the same fundamental rights. The term equality refers to a number of ways people are treated the same. Political EqualityPolitical equality means that everyone is treated in the same way in the political sphere. This means, among other things, that everyone has the same status under the law (everyone is entitled to legal representation, for example, and every citizen gets one vote) and that everyone gets equal treatment under the law. Everybody must obey the laws, regardless of race, creed, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, and in return, everyone enjoys the same rights. Many countries around the world have attempted to create a democracy with a limited government using a constitution very much like America’s. Places like Brazil, the Philippines, and Argentina all have similar constitutions, but they have experienced corruption, military takeovers, and the rise of radical politicians. What has made American democracy last so long? Americans are diverse in almost every way possible, yet our political culture unifies us in such a way that our democratic institutions persist. So, what exactly is this political culture, and how is it reflected in American attitudes toward politics and economics? In this article, we will explore American political culture and how our shared attitudes about political beliefs bring us together. American Political Culture DefinitionPolitical Culture: the shared set of beliefs and values about how government and politics ought to be carried out. When French author Alexis de Tocqueville visited America in the 1830s, he made observations about why American democracy flourished while other democracies had failed, even though they all promised personal freedom. His observations were compiled in his two-volume book, Democracy in America. De Tocqueville wrote about the geographic vastness of the frontier, which created opportunities for people to make a living in a way of their choosing. He also wrote about American egalitarianism, individualism, populism, and the “moral and intellectual” characteristics of the American people. Modern political scientists agree that there are certain characteristics that most Americans share that have become known as political culture.
Core Values Of American Political CultureAmerican political culture has its roots in the Declaration of Independence, a document that contains the American creed. This creed can be summed up in the fiery writing of Thomas Jefferson’s founding document. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” The concept that the purpose of government is to protect the natural rights of its citizens, and that people are equal, and free to their government is essential to American political thought.
Five Elements Of American Political CultureThe five elements of American political culture are liberty, individualism, free enterprise, egalitarianism, and limited government. LibertyWhen many immigrants are asked why they come to America, a common response is “freedom.” America’s promises of freedom of speech, religion, and many other rights are fundamental to American culture. As long as one’s rights do not interfere with someone else’s liberty, American citizens typically believe they should be free to do just about whatever they choose. IndividualismAnother element of American political culture that shapes our democracy is the idea that people can shape their own futures and should be able to make it on their own. The ideal of the American dream is embedded in the mindsets of Americans. We’ve all heard stories of a president who came from a log cabin to inhabit the most powerful position in American politics or self-made millionaires born into poverty, and those stories highlight the idea of individualism. America was settled by people who wanted very little from their government and wanted mostly to be left alone. Individualism as a characteristic of American political culture means that individuals are responsible for their own behavior, choices, and their own success. It is a distinctly American way of thinking. Free EnterpriseAs in American politics, liberty is important in American economics. Americans largely support free enterprise, capitalism, and limited government, and generally believe that the economic system promotes fair competition and allows for economic growth and individual success. Free enterprise is a reflection of the American belief in individualism. Laissez-faire economics embraces personal responsibility and economic individualism. Laissez-faire is an economic principle that reflects the philosophy of free-market capitalism. It embraces the concept that government should not interfere in the economy. EgalitarianismIn the U.S. Constitution, titles of nobility are forbidden. The framers of American government were opposed to the idea that some people, just because of their birthright, were more fit to rule than others. Instead, in America, every person has the right to influence government equally, and everyone’s vote counts the same. The most famous phrase in the Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal.” America hasn’t always lived up to that ideal, but it has been a beacon to strive toward. Americans have never embraced the idea of equality of outcome, instead, they have the belief in the equality of opportunity: the idea that all people are equal and should be given the same opportunities to be successful. Egalitarianism means that everyone should have equal access to participate in politics, and your background should not determine who you can become. Limited GovernmentThe meaning of limited government is that certain individual liberties and rights of people are beyond the scope of government control and intervention. The principle of Limited government is the idea that there should be clear restrictions on government and its rulers to protect the natural rights of citizens. The government is limited by a constitution and by an unwritten social contract. American government is for the people and by the people, and if the government isn’t responsible to the will of the people, the people have the power to change the government. The people are at the heart of American democracy, and Americans believe that government officials are, above all, accountable to the people. Citizens and states retain rights that are not explicitly stated as belonging to the federal government. Equality In American Political CultureOne question that may arise when contemplating equality as an essential element of American political culture is: How can Americans believe in equality when, historically, American behaviors have been inconsistent with the belief that all people are equal? Inconsistency between value and behavior is a fact of life. Yet, the American value of equality is important because it remains a source of change: over time, America has become more democratized. In the early 1830s, DeTocqueville wrote that America had the most advanced equality in action. While Americans have never been equal in conditions of life, the belief that most Americans have that all people are born equal and should be treated equally is a driving force of progress. Aspects Of American Political CultureAmericans have a distinct way of thinking about politics, government, and their place in those institutions. Where did it come from? America was founded by revolutionaries who wanted to be free. They wanted to be left alone, and they wanted to chart their own destinies. The Revolutionary War was essentially a war fought over the idea of liberty; therefore, Americans have remained preoccupied with the idea of their rights and the idea that people should be able to choose their own destinies. American political culture results in a deeply held idea that citizens should demand freedom, equality of opportunity, and a responsive government. American Political Culture - Key takeaways
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Which one is not a core value of American political culture?Which of the following is Not a core value of U.S political culture? Economic equality.
What are the 4 concepts of political culture?Political culture consists of attitudes, beliefs, values and behaviour of people towards the political system.
Which core value defines American political culture?American political culture contains a number of core ideals and values. Not all Americans share the same views, of course, but the vast majority subscribes to these general ideals, including liberty, equality, democracy, individualism, unity, and diversity.
What is one of the core values of American political culture quizlet?Three important political values in American politics are liberty, equality, and democracy.
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Which one of the following is not a core value in American political culture?
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