Chapter Outline

Political Culture: The Core Principles of American Government

Political culture refers to the characteristic and deep-seated beliefs of a particular people. These beliefs are the basis of national identity and political continuity in the United States.

The six core ideals that constitute the "American Creed" are liberty, self-government, equality, individualism, diversity and unity.
These ideals are mythical and symbolic in nature, and do not match reality.
These ideals are general principles, not fixed rules of conduct, and thus are subject to conflict when putting them into practice.
Political ideals have a powerful influence on American politics by shaping what people expect from politics and helping to define the boundaries of acceptable action. A defining characteristic of the American political system is its enduring and powerful set of cultural ideals.

Politics: The Process of Deciding Upon Society's Goals

Politics is the process through which a society makes its governing decisions.

Political conflict is rooted in two general conditions of society: scarcity and differences in values.
Competition for power among a great many interests of all kinds is a major characteristic of American politics.
Government consists of institutions, processes, and rules that are designed to facilitate control of a particular geographic area and its inhabitants. Those who decide political issues are said to have power, a term that refers to the ability of persons or institutions to control policy decisions. Power which is exercised through the laws and institutions of government is known as authority. Authority can be defined as the recognized right of an individual, organization or institution to make binding decisions.
Extreme fragmentation of governing authority such as occurs through the American system of checks and balances is a major characteristic of the American political system.
Policy refers to any broad course of action undertaken by government.
The rules of the game of politics establish the process by which power is exercised, define the legitimate uses of power, and establish the basis for allocating costs and benefits among the participants.
Democracy is the set of rules designed to promote self-government. It is based on the idea of the consent of the governed which has come to mean majority rule.
Rules of constitutionalism restrict the lawful uses of power, and relate specifically to the idea that there are limits on the rightful power of government over citizens. A defining characteristic of the American political system is its extraordinary emphasis on individual rights.
Capitalism is a method for distributing economic costs and benefits. It holds that government should interfere with the economy as little as possible. It emphasizes free enterprise and individual self-reliance. A major characteristic of the American system is a sharp distinction between what is political, and therefore to be decided in the public arena, and what is economic, and therefore to be settled in the private realm.
The rules of the political game help decide who will exercise power and to what ends. The issue of who governs is approached by identifying three broad theories of power, no one of which describes every aspect of American political decision-making. Majoritarianism is the notion that the numerical majority prevails not only in counting votes but also in determining public policy. Pluralism holds that policies are effectively decided through power wielded by diverse interests that dominate particular policy areas. Elitism holds that policy is controlled by a small number of well-positioned, highly influential individuals.

The Concept of a Political System and the Book's Organization

The political system model can show how the various "parts" of American government are interdependent.

The political system operates against the backdrop of a constitutional framework that defines the exercise of power.
Political system inputs, institutions and outputs comprise the model.
Subsequent chapters will discuss five encompassing patterns of American politics--cultural ideals, fragmentation, pluralism, individual rights, and the separation of the political and economic spheres.

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