Skip to content

10 - American Political Ideologies and Beliefs

Core Political Values in American Political Culture

American political culture encompasses a set of dominant beliefs, traditions, and values shaping the interaction between citizens and the government. Key political values include individualism, equality of opportunity, free enterprise, rule of law, and limited government. These values, though universally accepted, are interpreted differently across history, influencing citizen perceptions of government actions and their interactions with each other.

Political Culture

  • Definition: The set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values defining the relationship between citizens and government.

Individualism

  • Belief in personal responsibility for one's decisions.
  • Alexis de Tocqueville's observations on American individualism.
  • Risks of tyranny of the majority.
  • The role of individualism in settlement and economic development.

Equality of Opportunity

  • Foundation in natural rights.
  • Emphasis on effort-based social status and political equality.
  • Distinction between opportunity and result equality.
  • Debate over affirmative action's role in promoting opportunity.

Free Enterprise

  • American economic system: a mix of individual/business freedom and government regulation.
  • Cultural preference for limited government intervention in the economy.

Rule of Law

  • No one is above the law, including officials.
  • Importance of judicial independence and transparency in government actions.

Limited Government

  • Government's power derives from the consent of the governed.
  • Importance of protecting inherent human rights.
  • Constitutional features ensuring government limitations.

American Core Values and Public Policy: Need-Based Assistance

  • Debate over the balance of core values in welfare programs.
  • Transition from AFDC to PRWORA highlighting a compromise between individualism and social safety net.

Political Socialization and Its Influences

Political socialization is a lifelong process where individuals form and modify their opinions towards politics, public policies, and political figures. It encompasses the experiences and factors that shape one’s political ideology, defined as a coherent set of beliefs about government and politics.

Major Influences on Political Socialization

Families, Schools, and Peers

  • Family: The primary influence, significantly shaping children's political views and party identification.
  • Schools: Civic education through required American government or civics classes; exposure to diverse viewpoints.
  • Peers: Interaction with peers provides a range of perspectives, challenging and potentially altering individual viewpoints.

Civic and Religious Organizations

  • Religious Groups: Influence political socialization through doctrinal stances on issues, sermons, and community interactions. Shifts in political leanings within religious demographics over time are noted, e.g., the varying support for political candidates among different religious groups.
  • Civic Organizations: Participation in community service and volunteer groups fosters skills relevant to political engagement and can influence political beliefs.

Generational and Life-Cycle Effects

  • Generational Effect: Shared historical events impact the political views of a generation, such as the Vietnam War’s effect on trust in government or the September 11 attacks influencing views on national security.
  • Life-Cycle Effect: People’s political views evolve based on their life stages and associated interests and concerns, e.g., recent graduates focusing on job markets and tuition assistance versus retirees concerned about Social Security and Medicare.

Political Socialization in Action

  • Impact of Economic Conditions: The Great Recession and its aftermath have significantly influenced the political socialization of millennials, emphasizing concerns like economic inequality and job security.
  • Voting Behavior: Different experiences and stages in life, even within the same generational cohort, can lead to varied political behaviors and election outcomes.

Analyzing Political Socialization

  • Primary vs. Secondary Sources: Understanding political socialization involves analyzing both types of sources—primary sources offer direct insights or data, while secondary sources provide interpretations based on primary data.
  • Diverse Influences: Besides generational effects, factors such as economic conditions, educational experiences, and social interactions play critical roles in shaping political ideologies and behaviors.

Globalization and Its Impact on American Core Values

Globalization, the process of increasing interconnectedness worldwide, affects political, economic, and cultural dimensions across the globe. This complex phenomenon challenges traditional boundaries between domestic and international politics, necessitating a nuanced understanding of its implications on American core values.

Global Actors and Their Roles

Countries

  • Historically dominant in international relations, setting policies affecting global dynamics.

Multinational Corporations (MNCs)

  • Operate in multiple countries, significantly influencing global economy and local cultures.
  • Challenges in regulating their overseas activities.

Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)

  • Work towards public causes, sometimes highlighting governmental failures.
  • Can inadvertently affect local economies and clash with host countries' policies.

Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs)

  • Comprise member states, sacrificing some sovereignty for collective benefits.
  • Examples include the European Union (EU) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Global Economy and Trade Agreements

  • American policies have traditionally supported free trade to enhance global economic prosperity.
  • Trade agreements can be bilateral or regional, impacting domestic job markets and production.
  • Controversies around the effects of agreements like NAFTA and TPP.

Democracy and Globalization

  • Potential to spread democratic values through adherence to international organization standards.
  • NGOs and access to technology enable greater transparency and citizen activism.

Challenges of Globalization

Economic Impact

  • Outsourcing leads to job losses in developed countries.
  • A "race to the bottom" in environmental and labor standards among competing countries.

Cultural Effects

  • Threat to traditional cultures and local businesses.
  • Global homogenization of culture.

Security Concerns

  • Facilitates coordination among extremist groups and international crime syndicates.
  • Challenges in combating global networks of illegal activities.