POLS 207 1st Edition Exam 2 Study Guide Lectures 6 10 Lecture 6 Politics Among the States State political cultures with a focus on Texas and how this affects policy decisions Political Culture Different states have different cultures and this affects the policies that citizens want and the policies that states enforce Useful concept because it focuses on state history and the development of important factors influencing politics and policy The Concept of Political Culture Political culture is a shared framework of values beliefs and habits in regard to government and politics INDIVIDUALISTIC POLITICAL CULTURE Approach to government and politics that emphasizes private initiative with minimum government interference Stresses the importance of the INDIVIDUAL and PRIVATE initiative Government is limited to protecting individual rights o Ensuring political and social relationships are based upon merit rather than traditions family ties or personal connections MORALISTIC POLITICAL CULTURE Approach to government and politics in which people expect government to intervene in the social and economic affairs of the state promoting the public welfare and advancing the public good Participation in politics is your civic duty o If you want government help you have to be part of the system TRADITIONALIST POLITICAL CULTURE Approach to government and politics that sees the role of government as the preservation of tradition and the existing social order o RESISTANCE TO CHANGE Government in the hands of the social elite o Ordinary citizens are relatively low participants Texas Political Culture o Texas Political Culture is distinctive for a variety of reasons Great size and relative isolation until 20th century NO INTERFERENCE Status as an independent Republic before joining the Union PATRIOTISM Mixture of Old South and being West of the frontier INDIVIDUALISM o However Texas political culture is increasingly being altered by the rise in minorities currently the dominant Anglo majority shapes the culture Based on Daniel Elazar s definitions of political culture Texas stands on the midpoint between Traditionalist and Individualist political culture TRADITIONAL o Long history of one party rule From Democratic to now Republican o Low levels of turnout o Social and Economic conservatism INDIVIDUALISTIC o Strong support for private business o Opposition to big government o Faith in individual initiatives Purposes of Government What role should the government play in supporting society 1 Maintain Order 2 Provide Public Goods a Education Sanitation Streetlights parks utilities 3 Promote Equality Orange benefits the market is unable to provide Benefits and services available to and beneficial to everyone Residents of Texas want the government to maintain order but don t want to pay higher taxes The Role of Government Totalitarian Anarchy Totalitarianism is the idea that government should have UNLIMITED POWER Example North Korea Anarchy NO GOVERNMENT no government power Example Somalia The Role of the Government in the Economy Socialism Capitalism Equality 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 the members of society o As resources become more abundant and society becomes more civilized government moves closer and closer to socialism It works much better under these circumstances Healthcare is a promotion of equality Free market system does not allow for child labor laws etc Hong Kong is the freest market system is the world owned by Communist China Economic Political systems have to be separated Communism POLITICAL Capitalism ECONOMIC US is ranked 6th in the free market economy ranking FOR AGAINST SOCIALISM Labor in a market system becomes less and less valuable as it becomes more productive When everything is divided equally there is no incentive for individual wealth CAPITALISM It maximizes economic growth and promotes freedom of individual wealth It leaves less intellectually and socially privileged without means for quality of life Inglehart s study suggests a theory of post materialism Western Europe is fairly postmaterialist They have fulfilled the first 4 parts of Maslow s law and have moved onto the fifth actualization So essentially spiritually or other issues such as the environment Americans are still classified as materialists Lecture 7 Politics Among the States continued The Role of Government in Society Freedom Order Social Freedom o Places a high value on INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES even at the expense of an orderly society Bill of Rights Social Order o Places a high value on PUBLIC STABILITY even at the expense of individual freedom Political Ideology Liberal Conservative Left wing Right wing Economic Issues T A L C Totalitarianism More Regulation Anarchy Less Regulation Social Issues A T L C Patriot Act was a move towards T took away some of our freedoms Government can now check you library subscription emails and other details Freedom of speech marriage and abortion are all regulated by the government Political Ideology 2 Dimensional Liberal Conservative Freedom A Order T Civil Liberties Restrict Behavior Equality Efficiency Social welfare programs Free Market o It is often the case that the dimensions are not consistent with one another o In other words if a person values social freedom they will not necessarily value equality also Liberal Conservative Equality Efficiency Freedom Order Add regulation by government Takes away regulation by government Neither ideology believes in total regulation or total freedom Belief in Freedom Efficiency is Libertarianism Belief in Equality Order is Populism Conservative High value for social order and economic efficiency Govt power must be used to regulate individual choices Oppose use of government power to regulate economy Economic inequality is the natural consequence of human ability and energy They see the need to use government power to guide and limit human behavior in the realm of morals but oppose the use of government to restrict human behavior in the economic realm Liberal High value for social freedom and economic equality Value private property and market and willing to support govt intervention to promote individual welfare and regulate the economy Libertarian High value for social freedom and economic efficiency minimal government involvement in all aspects of life Emphasize the autonomy of the individual and