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