TOPIC 4 1 AMERICAN ATTITUDES ABOUT GOVERNMENT AND

TOPIC 4. 1 AMERICAN ATTITUDES ABOUT GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs

POLITICAL IDEOLOGY Think about it: • When you hear the term ‘conservative, ’ what comes to mind? • Liberal? • Libertarian?

POLITICAL IDEOLOGY • Consistent set of values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government

POLITICAL IDEOLOGY Conservative • Favors traditional American values, respect for authority, law and order, and national defense Liberal • (Progressive) Favors an active government role in regulating the economy & promoting equality Libertarian • Favors very limited government, promotes individual freedom that should only be limited when it impedes on another person’s rights

AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE The distinctive way Americans think about politics and government—our Core Values Individualism • Personal responsibility; individuals should take responsibilities for themselves and the decisions they make • What agreement and disagreement might there be between conservatives, liberals, and libertarians about individualism?

AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE Equality of Opportunity • What agreement and disagreement might there be between conservatives, liberals, and libertarians about equality of opportunity? Free Enterprise • Market-based economy where people are able to choose what to buy, sell, and produce with some regulation • What agreement and disagreement might there be between conservatives, liberals, and libertarians about free enterprise?

AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE Rule of Law • All people are subject to the law • What agreement and disagreement might there be between conservatives, liberals, and libertarians about rule of law? Limited Government • Governmental power is restricted by the Constitution • What agreement and disagreement might there be between conservatives, liberals, and libertarians about equality of opportunity?

TOPIC 4. 2 POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs

POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION Think about it: • What do you think causes a person to have a particular political ideology? • Why does one person become conservative and another person liberal, another person libertarian, and still another centrist? • Do you think American values influence values of the rest world more than the values of the world influence American values?

POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION • The process by which people acquire their political beliefs and ideology • Family is main source • School, peers, and social environments also contribute

GLOBALIZATION • Has spread American culture and values throughout the world • Has increased immigration & diversity in the U. S.

CHANGES IN IDEOLOGY Life Cycle Effects • The variety of physical, social, and psychological changes people go through as they age • People focus on different issues at different points in life Generational Effects • Different voting patterns & political beliefs for people in different generations

CHANGES IN IDEOLOGY Major Political Events • Can influence political attitudes for life • Impressionable-age hypothesis • Suggests that most people forge their political attitude between the ages of 14 -24 • Great depression, World War II • 1960 s Civil Rights Era, Counterculture • 9/11, War on Terror, Great Recession