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Topic 1, Module 1

Nature of Political Culture

POLITICAL CULTURE

 Refers to the distinguishing beliefs, attitudes, habits and behavior patterns that characterize a political
community

 historically-shared, widely-held beliefs, feelings and values about the nature of political systems which
can serve as a LINK between the citizens and the government.

 pattern of shared values, moral norms, beliefs expectations, and attitudes that relate to politics and its
social context. (Sodaro, 2008)

 The composite of basic values, feelings, and knowledge that underlie the political process. Hence, the
building blocks of political culture are the beliefs, opinions, and emotions of the citizens toward their form
of government. (Lucian Pye)

 It can be thought of as a nation’s political personality which includes the deep-rooted, well-established
political traits that are characteristic of a society. Political culture takes into account the attitudes, values,
and beliefs that people in a society have about the political system, including standard assumptions about
the way that government works.
 “They are rather like the lenses in a pair of glasses: they are not the things we see when we look at the
world; they are the things we see with.” W. Lance Bennett, Public Opinion in American Politics (New York: Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich, 1980), 368.

 Political culture includes formal rules as well as customs and traditions, sometimes referred to as “habits
of the heart,” that are passed on generationally. People agree to abide by certain formal rules, such as
the country’s constitution and codified laws. They also live by unstated rules: for example, the willingness
in the United States to accept the outcomes of elections without resorting to violence. Political culture sets
the boundaries of acceptable political behavior in a society. Daniel J. Elazar, The American Mosaic (Boulder, CO:
Westview Press, 1994).

 set of attitudes, beliefs and sentiments that give order and meaning to a political process and that
provides the underlying assumptions and rules that govern behavior in the political system

 over-all distribution of citizens’ orientations to political objects

a. orientations of problem-solving: are they pragmatic or rationalistic?
b. Orientations to collective action: are they cooperative or non-cooperative?
c. Orientations to the political system: are they allegiant or alienated?
d. Orientations to other people: are they trustful or mistrustful?

 Made up of COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE, EVALUATIVE orientations toward the political system (Almond and
Verba, 1963)

Hence, Sodaro (2008) articulated these views:

Political culture reflects the ways people think and feel about political life. It consists of clusters of
attitudes about authority, government, and society that are accepted by large portions of a
country’s population, quite often, the majority. It includes broadly diffused core values especially
those that relate to political ideals and political relations. In some cases, the ideas of liberal and
social democracy-- such as individual freedom, equality, tolerance, and social welfare—are the
main sources of political values. (p. 294).
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Topic 1, Module 1

Components of Political Culture

 INSTITUTIONS—three branches of the government (executive, legislative, judiciary)

 PROCESSES – elections, party-system, etc…
 POLITICAL BELIEFS – adherence to democracy, pluralism, adherence to rule of laws
 POLITICAL ATTITUDES – collectivism (Asian) vs. individualism (Western) ; political “apathy”
 POLITICAL VIRTUES/VALUES – those essentially positive traits or broadly diffused core values
especially those that relate to political ideals like liberal & social democracy (creating the values of
equality, individual freedom, tolerance, etc..) of both the citizenry and the rulers.
 Delicadeza
 Public service
 Collective equality
 social welfare
 patriotism and political tolerance

 POLITICAL PRACTICES – those which were born out of the peoples’ participation/dealings with the
institutions, processes, orientations etc…
 Maybe good or bad practices : nepotism, regionalism
 Bureaucratic practices: delays/red tapes, padrino system
 Vote-buying
 Political patronage

 RITUALS AND SYMBOLS

 such as singing the national anthem at sporting events and saluting the flag before the start of a
school day, are ceremonial acts that are performed by the people of a nation.
 Election Night follows a standard script that ends with the vanquished candidate congratulating
the opponent on a well-fought battle and urging support and unity behind the victor. Whether they
have supported a winning or losing candidate, voters feel better about the outcome as a result of
this ritual
 President’s SONA every 4th Monday of July
 Flag as a symbol

 FOLKLORE consists of stories about a nation’s leaders and heroes; often embellished, these stories
highlight the character traits that are desirable in a nation’s citizens. Heroes are important for defining a
nation’s political culture.

References:

Almond, G., and Verba, S. (1963). The civic culture: political attitudes and democracy in five nations. Princeton,
NJ: Princeton University Press.

Pye, L. and Verba, S. (1965). Political culture and political development. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

Sodaro, M. (2008). Comparative politics a global introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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Topic 2, Module 1

TYPES OF POLITICAL CULTURE

Theoretical Considerations : Structuralist-functionalist theory

(Source: https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/tpavone/files/almond_verba-_the_civic_culture_critical_review_0.pdf)

The political sociology of Almond and Verba (1963) is strongly influenced by sociological structural
functionalism. Structural functionalism emerged in the late 19 th and early 20th century in the context of intense
social change and the emergence of destabilizing mass political movements spurred by industrialization and
political enfranchisement. It was the potential disintegration of society at the hands of rapid change that
motivated early structural functionalists, particularly Emile Durkheim, to study how societies can maintain
social unity.

At the core of structural functionalism lies the concept of social function – a term initially developed in
Durkheim’s The Division of Labor in Society. To ask what a function is, posits Durkheim, requires one to
“investigate the need to which it corresponds” (1997 [1893]: 11).
Specifically, for Durkheim a formal or informal institution’s function is “the correspondence between it
and the needs of the social organism” (Radcliffe-Brown 1935: 394). Thus in his analysis of the division of
labor, Durkheim concludes that “the economic services it renders are trivial by comparison with the moral
effect it produces. Its true function, the real need to which it corresponds, is that feeling of solidarity in two or
more persons which it creates” (Jones 1986).
In general, structural functionalists posit that if structures and institutions are to survive, they must
promote social solidarity, or, once solidarity is achieved, homeostasis (system stability). As Radcliffe-Brown
argued, “[t]he function of any recurrent activity, such as the punishment of a crime, or a funeral ceremony, is
the part it plays in the social life as a whole and therefore the contribution it makes to the maintenance of
structural continuity” (1935: 396). An examination of Almond and Verba’s The Civic Culture reveals
remarkable continuity with the foregoing scholarly tradition.

Almond and Verba (1963)’s Structural Functionalist Theory of Political Culture

Where Durkheim perceived a threat to social unity in the industrial revolution, Almond and Verba perceive a
similar threat in the regime changes of the second wave of democratization and the military threats of the Cold
War: “How can these subtleties and these humane etiquettes [of stable democracies] survive even among
ourselves in a world caught in the grip of a science and technology run wild, destructive of tradition and of
community and possibly of life itself?” (pg. 7). The Civic Culture represents their search for a plausible answer.

Building Blocks – Orientation and Political Objects

The building blocks of Almond and Verba’s structural functionalist theory are a set of:

(1) individual orientations linked to (2) political objects.

Orientation can take three forms:

(1) cognitive orientation (“knowledge of and belief about the political system, its roles and the incumbents of
these roles, its inputs, and its outputs”)

(2) affective orientation (“feelings about the political system, its roles, personnel, and performance”), and

(3) evaluative orientation (“judgments and opinions about political objects that typically involve the
combination of value standards and criteria with information and feelings”)
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Topic 2, Module 1

Political objects include (1) the “general” political system, (2) the specific roles or structures in the system
(such as legislatures and bureaucracies), (3) the incumbents of roles (such as monarchs and legislators), and
(4) public policies (decisions or enforcements of decisions) (ibid).

FACTORS/DETERMINANTS OF POLITICAL CULTURE ORIENTATION

1. AWARENESS of government================= COGNITIVE

2. EXPECTATIONS of government================ AFFECTIVE
3. Political PARTICIPATION ==================== EVALUATIVE (C, A)

THREE TYPES OF POLITICAL CULTURES (Source: Almond, Gabriel & Verba, Sydney. The Civic Culture : Political Attitudes and
Democracy in five nations. A 1963 cross-national study on five democratic countries ( USA, UK, Mexico, Italy, Germany)

In parochial cultures, exemplified by African tribal societies, citizens have low cognitive, affective, and
evaluative orientation towards the four types of political objects. In these simpler traditional societies, there are
no specialized political roles and little expectation for political change (pgs. 17; 20). Here, “the individual thinks
of his family’s advantage as the only goal to pursue, or conceives of his role in the political system in familistic
terms” (pg. 120).

In subject cultures, there is high cognitive, affective, and evaluative orientation towards the political system
and policy outputs, but orientations towards input objects (like political parties) and the self as an active
participants are minimal. Thus orientation towards the system and its outputs is channeled via a relatively
detached, passive relationship on the part of the citizen (pg. 17). Subject cultures are most compatible with
centralized, authoritarian political structures (pgs. 17; 20). Indeed, for the subject “the law is something he
obeys, not something he helps shape” (pg. 118).

In participant cultures, members of society have high cognitive, affective, and evaluative orientation to the
political system, the input objects, the policy outputs, and recognize the self as an active participant in the
polity. Social actors tend to be activist and mobilized (pg. 18). In general, participant cultures are most
compatible with democratic political structures (pg. 20). Here, the citizen is expected to have “the virtues of the
subject – to obey the law, to be loyal – but he is also expected to take some part in the formation of decisions”
(pg. 118).

1. PAROCHIAL CULTURE ( low awareness, expectations, and participation)

ex. Mexico in the study, Africa also as applied later on

 Citizens have no cognitive orientations toward the political system

 marked by the absence of a sense of citizenship, with people identifying with their locality rather than the
nation, and having neither the desire nor the ability to participate in politics
 Societies with this type of political culture do not expect anything positive of government
 People do not expect to participate in politics because they believe that it is an elite domain
 In these simpler traditional societies, there are no specialized political roles and little expectation for
political change (pgs. 17; 20). Here, “the individual thinks of his family’s advantage as the only goal to
pursue, or conceives of his role in the political system in familistic terms” (pg. 120).
 Government is seen as the enforcer of its own rules, hence, the realm of politics is perceived to be avoided
whenever possible

2. SUBJECT CULTURE (higher levels of awareness & expectations but low participation)
ex. Italy & Germany
 Citizens have cognitive orientations only toward the OUTPUT aspect of the system
 Citizens expect positive reaction from the government but do not tend to be politically active
 Also see politics as an elite domain, to be engaged in by those with power and influence
 characterized by more passivity amongst citizens, and recognition that they have only a very limited capacity
to influence government; either feel pride or cultivate hostility towards their political system – they either accept
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Topic 2, Module 1

the decisions of their rulers as legitimate, or struggle against them in the name of their right to self-
determination

 Thus orientation towards the system and its outputs is channeled via a relatively detached, passive
relationship on the part of the citizen (pg. 17). Subject cultures are most compatible with centralized,
authoritarian political structures (pgs. 17; 20). Indeed, for the subject “the law is something he obeys,
not something he helps shape” (pg. 118).

3. PARTICIPANT CULTURE (high levels of all three) ex. USA & UK

 Citizens have cognitive orientations both on the INPUT & OUTPUT aspects of the pol. System
 there is high cognitive, affective, and evaluative orientation towards the political system and policy
outputs, but orientations towards input objects (like political parties) and the self as an active participants
are minimal
 Societies with this type of pol. culture tend to have citizens with high expectations of the government and of
personally participating in politics, if at no other time, than mere voting in elections.
 the citizens believe both that they can contribute to the system and that they are affected by it
 citizens pay close attention to politics and regard popular participation as both desirable and effective; people
take active part in the political sphere by considering themselves as active members of the polity
 This type of culture is central to the principles of any democratic society

 Members of society have high cognitive, affective, and evaluative orientation to the political system, the
input objects, the policy outputs, and recognize the self as an active participant in the polity. Social
actors tend to be activist and mobilized (pg. 18). In general, participant cultures are most compatible
with democratic political structures (pg. 20). Here, the citizen is expected to have “the virtues of the
subject – to obey the law, to be loyal – but he is also expected to take some part in the formation of
decisions” (pg. 118).

Almond and Verba note that political cultures rarely conform to the foregoing ideal-types; rather, they tend to
be mixed cultures (pg. 22). Further, political culture does not always map onto functional political structures:
political systems may be characterized by high congruence between culture and structure (which engenders
allegiance), weak congruence (which engenders apathy), and incongruence (which engenders alienation).
 Political Culture
•It is a set of values beliefs, emotions and view points
of the people about their political system of a state.

•A pattern of shared values, moral norms, beliefs

expectations, and attitudes that relate to politics and
its social context. (Sodaro, 2008)

•The composite of basic values, feelings, and

knowledge that underlie the political process. Hence,
the building blocks of political culture are the beliefs,
opinions, and emotions of the citizens toward their
form of government. (Lucian Pye, 1965)
 Characteristics of Political
Culture
 Political culture is a universal concept.
 It is a comprehensive concept.
 Every political system has distinctive culture.
 Political culture is a part of General Culture.
 Political culture influences Political systems.
 Political culture influences political system.
 The concept of political culture is
subjective in nature.
 Political culture is a dynamic concept.
 Political culture has its own sub cultures.
Subcultures
Within national political cultures, there
are subcultures, characterizing political attitudes
of different groups within society. In conflictual
cultures, there are deep rifts between
subcultures.
The rifts are caused by such factors as:
Class
Ethnicity or race
Religion
Regional differences
Orientations of political culture

 Cognitive Orientation:- It is implied by the

amount and the type of the knowledge which the people
posses about political problems and events
 Affective Orientation:- It implies the amount
of devotion and interest of the people toward their
political system
 Evaluative orientation:- While evaluating
their political system people try to know if the political
system has achieved the objective which it had sought
to achieve.
 Components of Pol. Culture
 Political virtues/values
those essentially positive traits or broadly
diffused core values especially those that
relate to political ideals like liberal & social
democracy (creating the values of equality,
individual freedom, tolerance, etc..) of both
the citizenry and the rulers.

 Delicadeza
 Public service
 Collective equality
Political Beliefs – adherence to democracy,
pluralism, adherence to rule of laws

Political Attitudes :
collectivism (Asian)
individualism (Western) ; political “apathy”

Standard assumptions how the government

works

Political Institutions—three branches of the

government (executive, legislative, judiciary)

PROCESSES – elections, party-system, etc…

Determinants of Political Culture
 Historical factors
 Geographical factors
 Social factors
 Economic factors
 Spread of education
 Radio and Television
 Newspapers and Televisions
 Political parties
 Ideological basis of political system
 A Morphological Illustration of
Political Culture
Almond’ s and Verba’s Analysis
Civic Culture

Unmixed political culture Mixed political culture

Parochial Subject Participant

political culture political culture political culture

Parochial subject Subject Participant Parochial Participant

political culture political culture Political culture
Secularisation of political culture

With the passage of time, the political

culture, also changes and if as a result of this
change people become more rational, logical,
wiser, analytical and empirical in their political
attitudes, to this we can call the secularisation of
political culture.
Factors helpful in the growth of
secular political culture.
 Education
 Radio and Television
 Secular Press
 Type of Political System
 Secular State
 Social and Economic equality
 Scientific and Technical progress
 Political Parties
 Pressure Groups
 Industrialisation and Urbanisation
Relevance of Political Culture in
Politics
 It has made political Science as a real Social Science.
 The study of political science has become practical
 Increase in the scope of political Science.
 Measuring rod to judge the success and failure of
political system.
 Political science has become a dynamic Subject
 Helpful in knowing the diversities in human nature.
 Combination of micro and macro study.
 Helpful to know the reason of political decay.
 Helpful in bringing progressive political change.
 Basis of making distinction among political systems.
 Criticism of the concept of
political culture
 Not a correct barometer to know the behavior of
man.
 Difficult to draw a line between general culture
and political culture.
 It is not a new concept.
 Conclusion

The study of this concept helps us to

understand the political beliefs and attitudes of
the people living under various political systems.
The concept of political system is an attempt to
gain the rigour and comprehensiveness which
these other concepts lack.
 References
 Almond, G., and Verba, S. (1963). The civic culture: political attitudes and democracy
in five nations. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Downloaded from:
https://www.scribd.com/doc/137951239/ALMOND-VERBA-the-Civic-Culture-Political-
Attitudes-and-Democracy-in-Five-Nations

 Pye, L. and Verba, S. (1965). Political culture and political development. New
Jersey: Princeton University Press

 Sodaro, M. (2008). Comparative politics a global introduction. New York: McGraw-

Hill Companies, Inc.