Facets Of American Political Culture

Every society has a different political culture that affects every facet of its structure. American political culture is a topic widely discussed as to what it is and how it works. While there is room for debate, the facets of American political culture that are most widely agreed upon are liberty, equality, democracy, individualism, the rule of law, nationalism, and capitalism. In order to understand these facets, its important to understand first what exactly a political culture is. First, “culture refers to the shared beliefs that people learn from society” (civicvoices.org). The background for American civic culture includes "the norms and values that enable social cohesion (the capacity to act collectively, manage conflict, and adapt to

. Political culture is defined by the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences as "the set of attitudes, beliefs and sentiments that give order and meaning to a political process and which provide the underlying assumptions and rules that govern behavior in the political system”. “It encompasses both the political ideals and operating norms of a polity. Political culture is thus the manifestation in aggregate form of the psychological and subjective dimensions of politics” (Freeman). The history of a nation is a direct product of political culture; it is “the product of both the collective history of a political system and the life histories of the members of the system and thus it is rooted equally in public events and private experience" (Freeman). Political culture affects how people interpret their society, what they expect from their political world, as well as what people value in said society. “Political culture also shapes people’s roles and behavior within their political world” (www.civicvoices.org). . The differences in political cultures manifest in the values of its

Nationalism is a belief or political ideology that involves an individual identifying with, or becoming attached to, one's nation. Despite some of the unsavory history and unfortunate fallbacks, many Americans are proud to identify as such. For many people, “this value includes the belief that we are stronger and more virtuous than other nations” (www.ushistory.org). Examples of nationalism in America can be seen in the made in America campaign which reached almost every sales market. Another example can be seen in the singing of the national anthem and the recitation of the pledge of allegiance at large events such as the super bowl, baseball games, etc. Some major nationalistic events include Independence Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day. Other small holidays such as President’s Day and President’s birthdays reveal the extent of celebration of American nationalism. American nationalism can be heard in songs on the radio, in television broadcasts, and just about every other form of media available. The sense of community and togetherness is one of the main reasons the American political culture remains so strong in spite of the differing opinions and