1. Chapter 15 Citizens and the Political Culture
Section 2 What Do We Believe?

2. The Ideas That Unite Us
A nation’s political culture consists of the values and beliefs passed on through families, schools, literature, religion, the media, and so on.
Faith in rules and individuals: We expect procedural guarantees (fair rules). We believe that what is good for the individual is generally good for society (individualism).
Procedural guarantees: We want fair processes, but we do not insist on equal outcomes. Example: We want everyone to have a fair and impartial chance at economic success, but we accept differences in the amounts people actually make.
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3. The Ideas That Unite Us
Individualism: We see individuals as ultimately responsible for their own well-being.
We assume that what is good for society will follow naturally from individuals striving for their own goals.
In times of war and national crisis, we tend to value the collective interest over the individual interest.
The value we place on individualism is reflected in our relatively low tax rate.
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4. Comparison of National Tax Burdens
Note to teachers: Ask students how a country’s tax burden is reflected in the services it provides for its citizens.
(Answer: The higher the tax burden, the more services government can provide.)
This graph is Figure 15.7 on page 461 of the Student Text.
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5. Core American Values
Democracy: We see democracy as a fundamentally fair way to set policies, make political decisions, and choose leaders.
Procedural freedom: We believe that individual’s freedom from unfair restraint by the government is important.
Economic freedom: We want freedom to participate in the marketplace, acquire money and property, and choose how we use those resources.
Equality: We believe in equality of treatment and opportunity but not necessarily equality of results.
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6. The Ideas That Divide Us
Competing ideologies (beliefs):
Liberal ideologies tend to value progress and change, rely on the government to cause these changes, and expand individual rights.
Conservative ideologies tend to favor traditional values, distrust government action, maintain the status quo, and maintain social order.
Note to teachers: Point out that we generally identify liberals with the Democratic Party and the color blue, and conservatives with the Republican Party and the color red.
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7. The Ideas That Divide Us
Economics:
Liberals want more government control.
Conservatives want less government control.
Social issues:
Conservatives favor traditional social values.
Liberals want protection and equality for all.
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8. Economic and Social Issues Emphasizing Economic Policy
Economic liberals want the government to make substantive economic decisions such as affirmative action programs and job training to encourage economic success.
Economic conservatives want the government to limit its economic role to adjusting interest rates and taxes to stabilize the economy and eliminate unfair trade practices.
Libertarians are economically conservative but also want minimal government involvement in social issues.
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9. Economic and Social Issues Emphasizing Social Issues
Social liberals believe that government policies should regulate society to force individuals to act in ways that they view to be socially desirable.
Communitarians are extreme social liberals who believe government should force individuals to sacrifice for the betterment of society.
Social conservatives want the government to promote a particular moral code and social order.
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10. Combining Economic and Social Beliefs
Note to teachers: Invite students to discuss why each ideological group fits into the indicated quadrant—for example, economic liberals fit into the upper left quadrant because they believe that government should play a large role in the economy and a limited role in social issues. See Figure 15.8 on page 465 of the Student Text for explanations and examples.
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11. Where Do We Fit In?
Republican and Democrat candidates try to appeal to ideologically diverse groups without alienating them.
Traditional Republicans are less conservative than far-right Republicans and more conservative than moderate ones.
Traditional Democrats are more conservative than liberal Democrats.
Note to teachers: Point out that Democrats are represented by the donkey, and Republicans are represented by the elephant.
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12. Ideological Placement of U.S. Parties and Groups
Note to teachers: Point out that the circle in the center of the diagram represents the ideological placement of mainstream Americans. Ask students how distance from this center affects the work of political parties and impacts elections. See “Where Do We Fit In?” on page 467 of the Student Text for a discussion of these issues.
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13. Where do your beliefs fit on the following chart?
Your Turn
Where do your beliefs fit on the following chart?
Note to teachers: Chart the results on the board and discuss with the class.
This chart is Figure 15.9 on page 466 of the Student Text.
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