Exam II9/21/11Chapter 3 Politics Among StatesThe Texas Political Culture- The Concept of Political Cultureo Political culture is a shared framework of values, beliefs, and habits of behavior in regard to government and politics- Texas political culture is distinctive for a variety of reasonso The state’s great size and its relative geographic isolation until the 20th century are important factorso Texas was an independent republic before joining the United States Independent “spirit” – we can’t get rid of debt, selection biaso Its mixture of the Old South and the West of the frontier contribute to the state’s distinctiveness- The Concept of Political Cultureo Though some Texans, particularly African Americans and Mexican Americas, tend to be separate from the political culture of the dominant Anglo majority, history and political institutions have shaped the assumptions that most Texans bring to politicso The intense patriotism of Texans is shaped by the myth that Texas is the most wonderful place to live that ever existed on the planet Always alternatives to solve problemso Nation state: majority of the people in the state are of the same culture, history,ethnicity, race, etc. E.g. Finland, Iceland, Japano The experience, shared with other Southern states, of slavery, defeat in a civil war and postwar occupation, and denying African Americans full citizenship undergird the state’s conservative political cultureo Reinforcing the state’s southern cultural conservatism is an extreme individualism derived form the myth of the frontiero Based on the cultural patterns of the fifty states identified by Daniel Elazar, Texas is located at a midpoint between traditionalist and individualist political cultures- Individualistic Political Cultureo It is an approach to government and politics that emphasizes private initiative with minimum government interferenceo This political culture stresses the importance of the individual and private initiativeo It emphasizes a role of government limited to protecting individual rights, ensuring that social and political relationships are based upon merit rather than tradition, family ties, or personal connections- Moralistic Political Cultureo It is an approach of government and politics in which people expect governmentto intervene in the social and economic affairs of the state, promoting the publicwelfare and advancing the public goodo This political culture regards participation in political affairs as one’s civic duties Believe government should solve those problems (poverty, education, etc.) Want to promote public welfare *Participation is one’s civic duty- Traditional Political Cultureo Texas has this “Let elite make the decisions; its always been tradition so let them continue to take care of us”o It is an approach to government and politics that sees the role of government asthe preservation of tradition and existing social ordero In this view, government leadership lies in the hands of established social elite, and the level of participation by ordinary citizens in the policymaking process is relatively lowo According to this political culture, the role of government is to protect and preserve the existing social order- Texas Political Cultureo Professor Elazar believes that the political culture of Texas is a hybrid that includes both traditionalistic and individualistic elementso Texas’s traditional political culture is represented in the state’s long history of one-party rule, low levels of voter turnout, and social and economic conservatismo Texas’s individualistic political culture is represented in the state’s strong support for private business, opposition to big government, and faith in individual initiativeso Political culture is a useful concept because it focuses on a state’s history and development as important factors influencing politics and policyFigure 3.2 Voting Turnouts in Elections for Governor- Correlation strong positive- TX at bottomPurposes of Government1. Maintain Ordera. Establish law to preserve life and protect property2. Provide Public Goodsa. Benefits and services available and beneficial to everyone (externalities)i. Education ii. Sanitationb. Benefits the market is unable to providei. Street lightsii. Parksiii. Utilities3. Promote Equalitya. Help the poor (newest and most controversial use of government)The Role of GovernmentTotalitarian --------------------------- Anarchy- Totalitarianism: government should have unlimited powero Hitler – Naziso Stalin – Communist Russia- Anarchy: no government power (no government)The Role of Government in the EconomySocialism (Equality) ------------------------- Capitalism (Efficiency)- Socialism : government owns the basic goods and services provided to members of the society- Capitalism: individuals own the basic goods and services provided to members of the society, and do with them as they please- As resources become more abundant, and society becomes more civilized, government moves closer and closer to socialism. It works much better under these circumstances- Argument for Socialismo Labor in a market system becomes less and less valuable as it becomes more productive- Argument against Socialismo When everything is divided equally there is no incentive for the individual to produce- Argument for Capitalismo Maximizes economic growth and promotes freedom of individual wealth- Argument against Capitalismo Leaves less intellectually and socially privileged without means for quality of lifeThe Role of Government in SocietyFreedom ------------------------------------ Order- Social freedom: places a high value on individual liberties even at the expense of having an orderly societyo Freedoms guaranteed in Bill of Rights; typically provide more freedoms- Social order: places a high value on public stability and decency even at the expense of individual freedomPolitical IdeologyLiberal (left wing) --------------------------------------- Conservative (right wing)Economic IssuesT --------------------------- A(L --- C)Social IssuesA --------------------------- T(L --- C)T = TotalitarianismA = AnarchyPolitical Ideology(Two-dimensional)Liberal: Freedom (A) --------------- Conservative: Order (T)(Civil Liberties) (Restrict behavior)Equality -------------------- Efficiency(Social Welfare Programs)
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