Module 1 - Chapter Two
Go to the site and find the second chapter or just follow the hyperlinks below (Remember to use your browser's "back" key to return to this page). Then:
Political Culture refers to two related aspects:
Both of these elements are main elements of any country's political culture. However, what is important to understand is that the degree of consensus about these traits can vary significantly. These variances in belief usually follow one of several lines: religion, ethnicity/race, subnationality, or ideology/cause. Each of these elements can be the basis for a subculture within a dominant culture. Sometimes while the "nation as a whole" seems to believe in some value (e.g., individual freedom), it may be a stronger belief for certain groups than others (e.g., those who have been denied freedom or treated unequally).
Within this chapter the major focus is upon differences between two ideological groups: Liberals and Conservatives.
Liberals. Your book points out that early forms of Liberalism (the belief system of liberals) was a reaction to feudalism, which emphasized group identities and obligations. Liberalism asserted the worth and dignity of individuals and emphasized the rational, self-directing nature of people. Rather than be labeled by your group of origin (serf, aristocrat), Liberalism focused on the ability for individuals to define and attain their own goals irrespective of group of origin.
Politically this meant that individual freedoms were fundamental building blocks of any system of government. Thus the right to free speech, assembly, to form political parties, to contest elections and the like were among the elements placed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. As Dye points out, contradictions between beliefs in political equality and existing practices (such as slavery) have been causes of great conflict and dynamic change in American history.
Such rights have also meant "freedom from government." The concept of "due process" when it applies to the "rights of the accused" illustrate this point: since government - with its large budget and staff - can tend to overwhelm individuals in their ability to defend themselves when accused of a crime, safeguards against "self-incrimination" and the illegal acquisition of evidence have been built into American jurisprudence. The right to legal representation and jury trials have also been set up to prevent the government from trampling on the rights of individuals in its pursuit of "law and order."
Economically, individual rights in early Liberalism were associated with the right to own private property and to buy/sell in the marketplace. Unlike modern Liberalism, early liberals were seeking to establish market capitalism, not curb its excesses. Early liberals had a minimalist view of government in the economy: it should provide infrastructure when the private sector could not, it should enforce contracts and trade agreements with other countries, it should reduce barriers to trade internally and provide other basic necessities for running a modern capitalist economy (e.g., printing money, common standards/weights, ensure postal delivery, etc.).
In the 20th century, Liberalism has changed to a belief system preoccupied with curbing the excesses of capitalism. Mostly this has focused on questions of economic equality. Equality of opportunity is a frequently heard expression which refers to the elimination of artificial barriers to achievement. This idea stresses that to the extent that differences in the wealth and status of a child's parents interfere with the ability of the child to make full use of talents and abilities, these are unacceptable barriers to social mobility and individual strivings for a better life. While early liberals were inclined NOT to use government to eliminate anything other than legal barriers to mobility (thus, aristocrats were not protected by their titles from poverty; others were not condemned to poverty for lack of titles), modern Liberals have expanded this concept.
Modern liberals advocate using government to make up for differences stemming from "unequal starting points in life." This might lead to making up for past injustices (affirmative action to help African-Americans hindered by slavery and racism) or simply to make sure that opportunities are not denied due to the pressures of living in a class society. Liberals tend to want the public sector (that is, government) to set up programs that provide financial help for the "weak and vulnerable" either to provide opportunity, or to make sure that those who are disabled or otherwise out of the workforce don't fall too low.
Modern Conservatives are a combination of classical liberals (hereafter "economic conservatives") and a different group, "cultural/social traditionalists." The first group is again definable by their idea that government should be small and "fill in the cracks" in a market economy. They tend to oppose using the public sector to redress past injustices or even to create more equality. They would be less inclined to support extensive financial aid, welfare spending, or government regulation of business (for example, to curb environmental hazards or protect workers and consumers from poor working conditions or bad products). They believe that individuals should take personally responsibility for their own situations: if working conditions are bad where you work, find another job; if an area is polluted, move; if a product is faulty, don't buy it. Conservatives don't believe that government should be in the business of protecting individuals and society from the pitfalls of capitalism; for conservatives, excessive government, coupled with high taxes, is a worst pitfall.
I mentioned above that conservatives are a combination of early liberals with their emphasis on small, limited government as well as "cultural/social traditionalists." This latter group exists in an uneasy alliance with the economic conservatives. While the latter favor the market, small government and individual action, "cultural/social traditionalists" want to use government to impress their cultural views on society, and thus individuals. Generally speaking this group is based on religious, usually fundamentalist Protestant, perspectives. They would like more government sponsorship of religion through e.g., vouchers permitting students to go to church-backed schools. They advocate more prayer in schools. They tend to be opposed to abortion. Occasionally, they express patriarchic views of the family, insisting that men and women have "natural" roles and should stick with them: thus, women should not pursue careers as actively as men due to the "natural" role women have as mothers.
As you read Dye's chapter, you will notice that he provides other terms and concepts not discussed above. After reading the chapter, ask yourself whether you understand such terms and issues as:
Can you think of a current situation in which the problem of equality or cultural conflict in America is being confronted? How is the political system responding to such issues?
Try going to the http://cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/ site for some national events. Local events are covered in several newspapers such as the Annapolis Capital, the Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post.