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Political Culture and Political Culture and SocializationSocialization
(System Level) (System Level)
Introduction to Comparative Politics
Political Culture and Political Political Culture and Political SocializationSocializationEach nation has its own political norms that
influence how people think and act about politics.
The way political institutions function at least partially reflects the public’s attitudes, norms, and expectations.
Political culture: public attitudes toward politics and their role within the political system
Political socialization: ◦ how individuals form their political attitudes and ◦ collectively, how citizens form their political culture;
we conclude by describing the major trends in political culture in the world politics today
Major tends in political cultures of states will be final concern
Mapping the Three Levels of Mapping the Three Levels of Political CulturePolitical Culture
A nation’s political culture includes its citizens’ orientations at three levels: ◦The political system◦The political and policymaking
process◦Policy outputs and outcomes
Mapping the Three Levels of Mapping the Three Levels of Political CulturePolitical Culture
The system level involves how people view the values and organizations that comprise the political system.
The process level includes expectations of how politics should function and individuals’ relationship to the political process.
The policy level deals with the public’s policy expectations for the government.
The System LevelThe System LevelIt is difficult for any political
system to endure if it lacks the support of its citizens.◦Feelings of national pride are
considered an affective, emotional tie to a political system.
◦When system legitimacy is high the belief that the law ought to be obeyed is high.
The System LevelThe System LevelFeelings of popular legitimacy are
another foundation for a successful political system.◦ Citizens may grant legitimacy to a
government for different reasons. Tradition, ideology, elections, or religion
◦ In systems with low legitimacy, people often resort to violence or extra-governmental actions to solve political disagreements.
The Process LevelThe Process LevelThe second level of the political culture
involves what the public expects of the political process.
Broadly speaking, three different patterns describe the citizens’ role in the political process.◦ Participants are involved as actual or potential
participants in the political process.◦ Subjects passively obey government officials and
the law, but they do not vote or actively involve themselves in politics.
◦ Parochials are hardly aware of government and politics.
Political Culture: Political Culture: Process Process LevelLevelWhat people expect of the
political process◦Participation (equal access vs
privileged access)◦Transparency ◦Corruption as an issue
Political Culture: Political Culture: Process Process LevelLevelAttitudes toward the existing
form of government◦Representative and direct
democracy as competing political regimes in Venezuela
◦Rejection of western-style (secular) democracy by fundamentalist Muslims
How citizens view their political roles
The Policy LevelThe Policy LevelWhat is the appropriate role of government?
◦ Policy expectations vary across the globe.◦ Some policy goals such as economic well-being are
valued by nearly everyone.◦ Variation in terms of what is expected relates to a
nation’s circumstances and cultural traditions.One of the basic measures of government
performance is its ability to meet the policy expectations of its citizens.
Expectations regarding the functioning of government: outputs (providing welfare and security) or process features (rule of law and procedural justice)
ConsensualConsensual or or ConflictualConflictual Political CulturesPolitical Cultures
When a country is deeply divided in its political values and these differences persist over time, distinctive political subcultures may develop.◦ They have sharply different points of view
on some critical political matters, such as the boundaries of the nation, the nature of the regime, or the correct ideology.
◦ Sometimes historical or social factors will generate different cultural trajectories. Ethnic, religious, or linguistic identities Migration
Why Culture MattersWhy Culture Matters
Cultural norms typically change slowly and reflect stable values.◦ It encapsulates the history, traditions, and values of a
society.◦ Congruence theory
The distribution of cultural patterns is typically related to the type of political process that citizens expect and support.
Do democracies create a participatory democratic public, or does a political culture lead to a democratic political system? It works both ways.
◦Political culture can build common political community,
but it can also have the power to divide.
Cultural Congruence Cultural Congruence OVER TIME THERE IS A
CONGRUENCE BETWEEN POLITICAL CULTURE AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE◦Value placed on
responsiveness/openness leads to: Direct election of senators Agencies to provide information on
previously classified activities ◦Longer democracy lasts and more
successes that it has the more support there is for democracy
Political SocializationPolitical SocializationPolitical cultures are sustained or
changed as people acquire their attitudes and values.
Political socialization refers to the way in which political values are formed and political culture is transmitted from one generation to the next.◦ Most children acquire their basic political
values and behavior patters at a relatively early age.
◦ Some attitudes will evolve and change throughout life.
Political SocializationPolitical SocializationThree general points about
socialization:◦Socialization can occur in different
ways. Direct socialization
◦Socialization is a lifelong process.◦Patterns of socialization can be
either unifying or divisive.
Agents of Political Agents of Political SocializationSocialization Individuals, organizations, and institutions
that influence political attitudes.◦ Family◦ Schools◦ Religious institutions
Fundamentalism◦ Peer groups◦ Social class◦ Interest groups◦ Political parties◦ Mass media
Global influence; most people in the world watch television to learn about the world
Direct Contact with the Direct Contact with the GovernmentGovernment
In modern societies, the wide scope of governmental activities bring citizens into frequent contact with bureaucratic agencies.
Personal experiences are powerful agents of socialization.
Trends in the Shaping Trends in the Shaping Contemporary Political Contemporary Political
CulturesCulturesDemocratization? Marketization?
◦Greater public acceptance of free markets and private profit incentives, rather than a government-managed economy
Globalization
Dynamics of Contemporary Dynamics of Contemporary Political CulturesPolitical Cultures
Political culture is not a static phenomenon.◦ Encompasses how the agents of political
socialization communicate and interpret historic events and traditional values
◦ Important to understand Influences how citizens act, how the political
process functions, and what policy goals the government pursues
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