Chapter 4
This chapter is unlike any other in
the text in that it is a long essay on the importance of ideology in American
politics. Students with any interest in
politics will find it to be worthwhile reading.
The authors do a masterful job of clearly defining the major American
ideologies of liberalism and conservatism (including the minor ideologies of
libertarianism, environmentalism and socialism as well), tracing their roots in
American history, and showing the public policy tendencies that derive from
each ideological tradition. This section is especially useful in this day of
campaigning by ideological labeling, mislabeling, and label avoiding.
The section on political culture is
extremely valuable. Most students have
been exposed to terms such as "Americanism," "un‑American,"
"the American Dream," but usually without any understanding of what
is meant. Americanism is simply
understood to be all that is good. Of
course un-American is all that is bad.
The authors point out that there are some commonly held political values
— liberty, political equality, opportunity, nationalism, individualism — but
some of these values are at least in part contradictory or noncomplementary. And different sets of values will be
differently emphasized by people with different ideological
predispositions. One aspect of the
dominant American culture, for example, is professed attachment to capitalism
and the free market, but some people see market failures, the need for
government regulation, and the existence of inequalities as a product of
capitalism. Furthermore, our shared
values are evolving. Some values have
remained constant for two hundred years, others have the same name but
different definitions and new values, for example, FDR's Second Bill of Rights,
are becoming a part of our culture.
A major goal for this chapter should
be helping the student to understand what lies behind the common political
rhetoric of the day. Moreover, students
can be helped to understand the positive role of shared values and ideologies
and to clarify their own ideological predispositions.
I. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Define political culture. Also, explain
where we learn the American political culture.
2. Identify and describe the major values
that are shared by most Americans, in the tradition of
classical
liberalism.
3. Assess
the relationship between political values and economic change (such as
industrialization and depression).
4. List Franklin Roosevelt's Second Bill of
Rights.
5. Analyze what is meant by the
"American Dream" and its impact on American political,
economic, and
social life. Explain how Oprah Winfrey
achieved the American Dream.
6. Define ideology and identify five schools
of political thought.
7. Examine liberalism and criticisms of this
school of political thinking.
8. Examine conservatism and cite criticisms
of this school of political thought.
9. Examine socialism, environmentalism and
libertarianism in American politics.
10. Explain
the distribution of ideologies in the American population and what those
ideologies mean to most Americans.
Explain why few Americans consider themselves political extremists.
11. Compare
the differences between liberals and conservatives on tolerance and support for
civil liberties.
12. Define and explain the significance of
Putnam’s “social capital.”