2.1: Political Culture
As you read this article, consider the following question: What have been the defining characteristics of American political culture as a whole? As this article mentions, the political culture of other countries may be characterized by different core values. For example, the political culture of Asian countries is often characterized by an emphasis on the good of the group over the good of the individual. Countries in Northern Europe tend to have political cultures characterized by secular values and self-expression, while the political culture of African countries often centers around traditional and community values.
Read the Preamble and Section 6.1. As these sections describe, political culture is “a nation’s personality” or “the habits of the heart.” Political culture involves a country’s shared ideologies, beliefs, norms, customs, traditions, and heroes. A defined political culture can help bind citizens to one another, facilitating consensus-building.