POLI 2053 Chapter : Political Culture
Political Culture
I. Political culture
a. Shared values, norms, beliefs, expectations, attitudes that relate to
politics
b. Can overlap with other forms of identity
c. Identity
i. Socialization—habits formed through contact with others
1. Primary: family
2. Secondary: schools, peers, public holidays, etc.
d. Participation
i. Which identity do we express?
1. Party ID—parties #1 goal is to get an individual into
office
a. Centripetal—inward focused; appeal to
numerous classes of voters
b. Centrifugal—outward/divergent; parties that
are highly principled and do not like compromise
2. Interest groups—organizations that influence the state
on behalf of interests and demands of particular group
a. Do not get individuals into office
b. Intermediary role
i. Pluralist—US uses this; anyone can
form/use interest groups
1. Open competition
ii. Neo-corporatist—Scandinavian countries,
strong catholic views, etc. use this
1. Coordination
2. Comes from industrial revolution
3. State is mediator between two
competing interest groups
a. Ex: state mediating
between workers and
unions
b. Because it is structured, it is
exclusionary
e. Social movements
i. Segments of the population who engage in collective action
ii. Believe neither state nor interest groups have addressed their
concern
iii. Collective action dilemma
1. Participating in social movements costs time, energy,
money
2. “But, other can do the work for me”—free-ride problem
iv. Repertories of contention
