Political Ideology

Chapter#4-Poetical Culture and Ideology In the textbook, American Political Culture Is described as the extensive communal pollens, standards, and morals citizens have In correlation with the government, as well as in relation with each other. One of the contributing factors that make the culture that way is suffrage, which is the right to vote. For example, our thoughts in suffrage went from the belief that white men who own property are allowed to vote to all citizens who are adults, besides criminals in some cases, have that right.

Another season for this would be deliberation, which is the procedure where administrators or people gather to converse and contemplate public Issues, along with social capital, which Is democratic and municipal series of debating, agreement, and regard for contrast, which derives from involvement in optional groups. An example that represents these overlapping ideas is political campaigning because of their extensive use in internet that allows people to interact with each other on their thoughts.

Our shared values include natural rights (born with moral rights), liberty sovereignty), equality (providing fair opportunities to all, no discrimination), Individualism (freedom of action for individuals over group authority), respect for the common person (does not have to be superior with money In order to be respected; common people can be successful: makes economy thrive), democratic consensus (we all come to a common line), and majority rule/popular sovereignty (allowing people to decide who can go forward on).

These can all relate to political culture, because these are what we believe in as a nation to be Just, and these beliefs that we hare with others and the government is political culture. The most Important aspects are equality, and respect for the common person, because without these two attributes, our nation would not provide equal opportunities to everyone who are not considered to be superior above all else because of the lacking amount of money they have.

Equality and respect for the common person helps to make our democracy prosper. The American Dream is defined as “the widespread belief that the United States is a land of opportunity and that individual Initiate and hard work can bring economic success”(Government by the People 112).

In terms of work, success, and capitalism, these can be shown through the ownership of one’s private property, availability/people who work hard that get economic rewards (free market system gives everyone equal opportunities and freedom depends on capitalism which helps grow our economy), wealthy people who fund campaigning projects, and wealthy people who fund money to try and influence elections or public policy (such as donating money to organizations to prove their support for that particular topic). Verbalism- Liberalism alludes to the belief that the government can affect fairness and equality of option. Examples of this would be shown through their support on equal access to health care, same-sex marriage, abortion, other forms of individual choices, more environmental protection, education for all citizens, protection for workers’ health and safety, affirmative action programs, and tax rates that rise with a person’s income. Menservants- Conservatism touches upon the belief that limited government guarantees order, competitive markets, and ones’ own personal equines opinions, the main task of the government should be to protect the country from foreign invaders, support economic growth by promoting competitive markets, and free fair trade, encouraging family values, rejecting Judicial laws that allow abortion, same-sex marriage and affirmative action programs. Socialism- Socialism is an economic and governmental practice that depends on public ownership involving production and exchange.

Various examples of this would be represented in wanting a immensely expanded role in nationalizing industries, taxing the wealthy more than rower and middle class men, instituting a public Jobs program and cutting defense spending. Environmentalism- Environmentalism is a supposition that looks at environment instead of genes/heredity as the significant element in the growth and particularly the cultural and cognitive development of a group or individual.

Examples of this would be viewed through dealing with issues regarding global warming, overpopulation, and genetic engineering. Libertarianism- Libertarianism is the ethics that fosters individual liberty and promotes minimal government, advocating a free market economy, a nonintervention’s foreign policy, and a lack of regulation in moral, economic, and social life.

Examples of this include favoring major cuts in government spending and a termination to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, and the most regulatory commissions, opposing all government regulation (mandatory seat- belt and helmet laws), because they believe the attitude “live and let live” and thinks that an undistorted free market will benefit individuals. I would describe the American people in terms of their political ideology as mostly well balanced, even though the majority of the groups are conservatives, according to figures 4-2, 4-3, and 4-4.

My reason for this is because in all figures, they showed a significant amount of conservatives/conservative related opinions that outnumbered the moderate and liberal groups. In figure 4-2, 77% of people thinks that “there is too much power concentrated in the hands of a few big companies” (116). This issue is mostly interpreted by conservatives. Also, in figure 4-3, once I added up the totals of the sex, race, age, religion, education, and party columns for each of the 4 groups, conservatives won the majority out of the other 3 groups.

In figure 4-4, it showed results that there was a slight increase of conservatives in 2008 (most recent year noted), and a steady decrease for other groups as well, including liberals, and moderates, whereas the don’t know/have not thought about it group has increased very slightly. Conclusions that I can reach about the ideology of people of the United States are the facts that ideology overtime shown in figure 4-2, is well balanced for all of the conservatives, liberals, don’t know/have not thought about it group, and moderates.

Also, there has been more of an increase shown in moderate/don’t know/ haven’t thought about it group, as well as conservatives only. In 4-2, the graph shows how the don’t know/haven’t thought about it group has increased compared to all else, besides conservatives. In figure 4-3, it also shows similar results, representing that there has been an increase of moderates/don’t know/have not thought about it rope (47%), there are more conservatives (17%)/slightly conservative (12%) than liberals liberal (3%).

I think that Americans are mostly a part of the moderate/don’t know/haven’t thought about it group, because there has been rising solution than the other groups’. This can lead to an indecisiveness for all people who have been passionate in the past with their former group, because they may have disappointed them with agreeing in something/many other things that the person would not agree with, and then not being able to agree with other ideologies as well.