Notes Ap Comparative Government
Chapter Three Notes
Political Culture and Political Socialization * Each nation has its own political norms that influence how people think about and react to politics. * American’s strong feelings of patriotism, the Japanese deference to political elites, and the French proclivity for protest all illustrate how cultural norms shape political. * When a new regime forms, a supportive public can help develop the new system, while the absence of public support may weaken the new system.
Mapping the Three Levels of Political Culture * A nation’s political culture includes its citizens’ orientations at three levels: the political system, the political and policymaking process, and policy outputs and outcomes. * System level involves how people view the values and organization that comprise the political systems. * The process level includes expectations of how political should function, and individuals’ relationship to the political process. * The policy level deals with the public’s policy expectations for the government.
The System Level * National pride seems strongest in nations with a long history that has emphasized feelings of patriotism – the United States is a prime example. * Such a common sense of identify and national history often binds a people together in times of political strain. * In contrast, national pride is low in Japan and Germany, two nations that have avoided nationalist sentiments in reaction to the World War II regimes and their excesses. * Feelings of popular legitimacy are another foundation for a successful political system. A political system and a government with high legitimacy are typically more effective in carrying out policies and are more likely to overcome hardships and reversals. * In a traditional society, legitimacy may depend on the ruler’s inheriting the throne or on the ruler’s commitment to religious customs. * In a modern democracy, the legitimacy of the
Political Culture and Political Socialization * Each nation has its own political norms that influence how people think about and react to politics. * American’s strong feelings of patriotism, the Japanese deference to political elites, and the French proclivity for protest all illustrate how cultural norms shape political. * When a new regime forms, a supportive public can help develop the new system, while the absence of public support may weaken the new system.
Mapping the Three Levels of Political Culture * A nation’s political culture includes its citizens’ orientations at three levels: the political system, the political and policymaking process, and policy outputs and outcomes. * System level involves how people view the values and organization that comprise the political systems. * The process level includes expectations of how political should function, and individuals’ relationship to the political process. * The policy level deals with the public’s policy expectations for the government.
The System Level * National pride seems strongest in nations with a long history that has emphasized feelings of patriotism – the United States is a prime example. * Such a common sense of identify and national history often binds a people together in times of political strain. * In contrast, national pride is low in Japan and Germany, two nations that have avoided nationalist sentiments in reaction to the World War II regimes and their excesses. * Feelings of popular legitimacy are another foundation for a successful political system. A political system and a government with high legitimacy are typically more effective in carrying out policies and are more likely to overcome hardships and reversals. * In a traditional society, legitimacy may depend on the ruler’s inheriting the throne or on the ruler’s commitment to religious customs. * In a modern democracy, the legitimacy of the