Political culture attitudes beliefs values provide basic assumptions and rules that govern political behavior fundamental and endure over time in a political community affect the political behavior of elites and ordinary individuals distinguished from public opinion changes and fluctuates democratic political culture political culture supportive of democracy source of legitimacy for democratic regimes cid 127 measures belief in democratic government europeans show a very high level of support for democracy in general varying levels of support for authoritarian alternatives in different countries belief in individual rights and freedoms political tolerance interpersonal trust generally high degree of political tolerance but variations exist across countries how much trust there is among citizens promotes effective bargaining and consensus among political actors political consensus easy in some countries difficult in others cid 127 more than half of people in Sweden said they trust one another big differences between European countries political consensus easier in some countries difficult in others social capital skills and attitudes associated with active citizenship often associated with associational life participation in civicl society organizations political efficacy the feeling that one is capable of participating effectively in political life big variations among European countries biggest difference between West and East interest groups the civicl society facilitate political participation and efficacy checks on government authority social and economic partners trade unions business organizations agricultural associations other non governmental organizations environmental groups religious organizations human rights organizations pluralism associations of individuals united around a common goal that organize and express needs or demands to decision makers system of interest mediation different interest groups compete for power and influence corporatism system of interest mediation centralized singular interest groups coordinate closely with the government peak association for labor and business institutionalized cooperation social movements socio economic values role of government in the economy religion conscious collective organized attempt to bring about or resist large scale change in society by non institutionalized means cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 declining in Europe but variations exist in religiosity among countries religiosity is high in some immigrant communities especially Muslim other values abortion legal in all Western Europe Ireland has the most restrictive abortion policy prostitution legal in most countries drugs and homosexuality big differences amount countries gay marriage legal in Belgium France Netherlands Norway Portugal Spain Sweden UK environment protection data cid 127 World Values Survey European Social Survey Eurobarometer political socialization school family peer influence national political cultures political legitimacy process through which an individual acquires a political culture European political culture and country based political culture voluntary acceptance of the validity of a country s political system by its citizens a political system enjoys legitimacy when it reflects the political culture of the political community Inglehart shift from materialist to post materialist values in Western Europe profound change of values in W Europe during post WWII period shift from materialist to post materialist values cid 127 materialist economic and physical security survival economic growth fighting inflation rising prices cid 127 maintaining order post materialist autonomy self expression quality of life intellectual satisfaction aesthetic satisfaction cid 127 more say on the job society where ideas count what caused value change life cycle effect vs intergenerational change life cycle people go through phases so they ll change intergenerational permanent socialization hypothesis vs scarcity hypothesis change in values i intergenerational and the result of socialization permanent Andronikidou Kovras cid 127 Greece and Spain comparison what explains difference in political behavior Divisive civil wars cid 127 Greece 1946 1949 why are anti government riots and protests more common in Greece than in Spain despite similar recent history cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 Spain 1936 1939 right wing military dictatorships cid 127 Greece 1967 1974 Spain 1939 1975 cid 127 main argument lengthy tenure of Socialist parties in government post democratic transition in both countries different rioting cultures explained by history of transition to democracy Spanish transition in 1975 emphasized consensus cid 127 Greek transition in 1974 shaped by a clean break and winner takes all mentality cid 127 Greek culture of sympathy of acts of resistance against the state alternative explanations in the literature social and economic inequality leads to rioting cid 127 mistrust of government institutions corruption cultural explanation Spanish transition different experiences of democratic transition restraint of radical forces of left and right consensus among dictatorship supporters socialists and communists cid 127 Greek transition greece stigmatized elements of the dictatorship purged from Greek politics and public administration clean break from past the symbolism of the Athens Polytechnic School of Engineering uprising on November 18 1973 resistance and rioting seen as important for founding of the modern republic legitimization of violent resistance cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127