LESSON 13

ROLE OF POLITICAL CULTURE IN POLICY FORMULATION

Objectives of the Lesson
The objectives of the lesson are to provide the data relating to
1. Components of political culture
2. Types of political culture
3. Role of political culture in policy formulation
Structure of the Lesson
13.1. Political Culture
13.2. Components of Political Culture
13.2.1. Cognitive Orientation
13.2.2. Affective Orientation
13.2.3. Evaluative Orientation
13.3. Types of Political Culture
13.3.1. Parochial Culture
13.3.2. Subject Culture
13.3.3. Participatory Culture
13.4. Role of Political Culture in India
13.5. The Role of Political Culture on Policy Making
13.6. Conclusion
13.7. Model Questions
13.8. Answer for the Questions

13.1. Political Culture

Political culture implies that the all individuals generally have the
same level of awareness of their rights, duties and expectations from the
government and society as citizens. All societies imparts their own specific set
of norms6 and values to the members who develop their own perception about
the functioning of political system and the responsibility of government towards
the citizens. They also develop their own ideas about their own roles and
responsibilities. This complete set of beliefs, symbols, and values associated
with the political system comprises the political culture of a nation. The political
culture has been defined by social scientists in various ways:

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 According to Talcott Parson Political Culture is concerned with
orientation towards political objectives. Political Culture can be defined as the
political psychology of a country or a nation. The studies related to political
culture make an attempt to expose the deepseated durable values which are
characteristic of a society or a group. It is not associated with the transient
attitudes of individuals towards some general issues that have been analyzed
through opinion surveys conducted by some agencies.”
“Political Culture refers to the patterns of perception and
orientation of members of the society towards the political system of a country.”
Political Culture depicts the political personality of a nation. It encompasses the
deep rooted, well established political traits which are the characteristics of a
particular society. It takes into account the attitudes, values and beliefs that
people in a society have about the political system, including standard
assumptions and notions about the way their government works.”
Political culture is the “aggregate of attitudes, beliefs, norms and
values which impart a significant order and meaning to the political processes
of a nation. It provides an understanding of the rules and regulations which
govern various aspects of the political system.”
Thus, political culture is a set of ideas, norms, beliefs, and
sentiments of individuals about the political system.
13.2. Components of Political Culture
Political culture is the pattern of individual attitudes orientations
towards politics. “It is composed of attitudes and orientations which people in a
given society develop towards objects within their political system. These
orientations have three distinct dimensions which are as follows:
13.2.1. Cognitive Orientation
Cognitive orientation refers to acquisition of knowledge and skills
by individuals which enable them to participate as members of a particular
group. In context of political socialization it refers to people’s knowledge of
political objects, beliefs and familiarity with the working of the political system .
13.2.2. Affective Orientation
Affective orientation reflects emotions and feelings of the
individuals towards the political system. It is related to the subjective feelings of

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attachment, disenchantment or alienation towards the political system and
political issues confronting the nation. It also refers to the parameters which
shape the attitude and judgment of people towards the political systems.
13.2.3. Evaluative Orientation
Evaluative orientation encompasses the judgments and opinions
of individuals about the political objects, which generally involve application of
value standards to the political objects and phenomena. These components of
political culture help to assess the level of political socialization in a particular
society.
13.3. Types of Political Culture
On the basis of participation level of citizens the political culture
can be classified into three types:
13.3.1. Parochial Culture
This type of political culture is characterized by low awareness,
expectations and participation of citizens. In this type the citizens do not
possess a satisfactory level of cognitive orientation towards the political system.
Societies characterized by this type of political culture neither expect anything
positive from government nor do they participate in politics because it is
visualized as an elite domain.
13.3.2. Subject Culture
This type is characterized by higher level of awareness and
expectation but low participation on part of the citizens. In this type the citizens
have cognitive orientations only towards the output aspect of the political
system. This tends to be reflected in a citizens who expectpositive action from
government but they themselves are not politically active and have less
inclination for any kind of political participation.
13.3.3. Participatory Culture
This type of culture is characterized by higher levels of
awareness, expectation and participation on part of the citizens. In this type the
citizens have cognitive orientations towards both the input and output aspects
of the political system. The societies which possess this type of political culture
tend to have citizens with high expectations from government and high levels of

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participation in politics. This type of culture is central to the principles and
successful functioning of any democratic system.
Thus in parochial culture the citizens tend to be passive and do
not take any part in the decision making process. In subject political culture
the citizens perceive themselves as subjects of the government and not as
participants in the political system of the nation. “In participant political culture
the citizens actively participate in the politics of the country. The masses play a
major role in influencing the government. Participant political culture is the
foundation of democratic system.
In addition to the above mentioned types of political culture, some
intellectuals give importance to another type of culture which is known as
political subculture. They are of the view that entire population of a political
system may not have the same culture. Some sections of the society may have
developed participant political culture while others may not. Political sub
cultures may grow on the basis of region, religion, social class, caste, language,
ethnic membership, occupation and like. When a particular set of political
orientation is distinguished from the other in the same political system, it is
known as political subculture. This subculture can be different due to diversity
of language, religion, caste , class etc.” Thus different types of political culture
are based on participation level of citizens.
13.4. Political Culture in India
Culture is regarded as a complex phenomenon which includes
knowledge, art, belief, morals, law, custom and other capabilities acquired by
man as a member of society. Culture may be said to have composed of two
parts, i.e., material culture and non-material culture. Material culture includes
all the material and tangible equipments and objects which are made and
produced by human beings. On the other hand, non-material equipment and
capabilities made and acquired by man in group life are included in non-
material culture.
The people of a society share a common human nature like
emotional drives, intellectual capacities and moral perspectives. The common
human nature expresses itself in the form of certain values, belief and
emotional attitudes which are transmitted from one generation to another,

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though with greater or lesser modifications, and they constitute the general
culture of that society. Social relationships are subject to an endless process of
transformation, of growth and decay of fusion and separation. Since they are all
expressions of human nature, the social relationships of the present are found
in germ at least in the past and those of the past survive, if only as relics in the
present.
Culture, is therefore, a profound possession that ramifies
throughout human life. No matter what aspect or part of society is considered,
the presence of a cultural mode of transmission is of paramount importance.
Politics is one of the unavoidable circumstances/facts of human
existence/relations. Everyone is involved in some fashion at some time in some
kind of political system. Each political system is embedded in a sociological and
psychological environment- the set of values, beliefs, orientation and attitudes
of the people toward politics, i.e., the political culture. The political culture of a
society defines the situation in which political action takes place. It provides the
subjective orientation to politics. The political culture is of course but one
aspect of politics.
However, the political culture encompasses both the political
ideals and the operating norms of a polity. Political culture includes not only
the attitudes to the politics, political values, ideologies, national character and
cultural ethos, but also the style, manner and substantive form of politics. The
political culture of a people gives them an orientation towards their polity and
its processes. One way to learn about political beliefs is to observe the ways in
which political structure operates. These beliefs affect and are affected by the
way in which the structures operate and there is a close circle of relationship
between culture and structure. Political culture is thus the manifestation in
aggregate form of the psychological and subjective dimensions of politics. A
political culture is the product of both the collective history of a political system
and the life histories of the members of that system. In brief, political culture is
to the political system what culture is to the social system.
The term political culture was first used by Gabriel Almond in
“Comparative Political System” which appeared in the Journal of Political
System Vol. 18, 1956. Several others like Samuel Beer, Adam Ulams, Sidney

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Verba, Lucian Pye, Dennis Kavangh, etc., have been responsible for
popularising it. Gradually, this term became popular and now it has come to
stand as a very important touchstone for a morphological study of the political
system.

In the words of Almond and Powell “Political culture is the pattern of

individual attitudes and orientations towards politics among the members of a
political system”. Lucian Pye writes that “political culture is the set of attitudes,
beliefs and sentiments of that give orders and meaning to a political process
and that provide the underlaying assumptions and rules that govern behaviour
in the political system. It encompasses both the political ideals and the
operating norms of a polity. Political culture is thus the manifestation in
aggregate form of the psychological and subjective dimensions of politics.”
According to Sidney Verba “Political culture is the subjective
orientation to politics or the system of empirical beliefs expressive symbols, and
values which define the situation in which political action takes place”.
Robert A. Dahl have singled out political culture as a factor explaining
different patterns of political opposition whose salient elements are:
i) Orientations of problem solving.
ii) Orientations to collective action.
iii) Orientations to the political system and
iv) Orientations to other people.
A political culture is a product of many inter-related factors,
traditional as well as modern elements. Changes in political culture come under
the influence of these factors. A study of these factors is essential for an
understanding of the political culture.
History plays an important role in the making and evolution of
political culture. Historical events always influence the shaping of political
culture in a big way. In the case of British political culture, the signing of
Magna Carta, 1215, Petition of Rights, 1628, and the 17th century struggle
between the King and the Parliament over the issue of sovereignty, the Glorious
Revolution of 1688 etc. have all played a deterministic role. Likewise, the
American Declaration of Independence, the war of Independence and the civil
war of mid 19th century exercised a big influence upon the American political

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culture. Indian political culture bears the influence of events of the freedom
struggle and the contact with western civilisation and culture. As such the
political culture of each society is greatly influenced by the historical events.
Beside historical development, geography is another important factor in
fashioning a political culture. Favourable location has helped British to meet
successfully foreign invasions. The vast size and diversities have helped the
Americans to accept the values of equality and freedom for all.

The nature of political culture is always determined by the

existence of ethnic differences and ethnic conflicts among several ethnic
groups or minorities which live in the society. Ethnic differences have recently
began to affect attitudes in Great Britain. Yet the United States, with a more
polyglot population has succeeded in assimilating the vast number of
immigrants, at least the voluntary ones, so that different ethnic groups think of
themselves primarily as Americans. Ethnic differences give rise to the
emergence of sub-political cultures within the national political culture.

The concept of political culture refers orientations -cognitive,

affective and evaluative, towards, political objects and actions. Indian political
culture bears the impact of the ideology of democratic socialism. Sometimes,
the difference of ideological interpretations may lead to internal discontent and
disaffection and eventually destroy rather than enhance the unity of the
collectivity. The socio-economic factors always play a deterministic role in laying
down the foundation of the political culture. A predominantly urban,
industrialised society is a more complex society. Putting a premium on rapid
communication, limits of poverty, employment, urbanisation, literacy etc, play a
leading role in shaping the political culture of the society. A predominantly
urban, industrialised society is a more complex society, putting a premium on
rapid communication.
Industrialisation is an important factor in changing values and
attitudes. Rapid influx of immigrants, war, revolution all may provoke changes
in political values and beliefs with subsequent strains on the Political System. A
political culture is not static but will respond to new ideas generated from
within the political system or imparted or imposed from outside.

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 The political culture provides guides for political behaviour, and
for the society as a whole it constitutes a structure of values and norms which
helps ensure coherence in the operation of institutions and organisations. The
stability of a political system is underlined by the relative success or failure of
the assimilation of new attitudes into the existing value structure and for this
there is the need to examine the means of effective transmission of the political
culture from generation to generation. The political culture is the product of the
history of both the political system and the individual members of the system,
and thus is rooted in public events and private experience. In this sense, the
development of the concept of political culture is an attempt to bridge the gap
between micro and macro sociological analysis.
A.W. Burke has pointed out, “ Modern Japan has inherited a remarkably
integrated ethos, which despite rapid changes, has always provided a source of
stability. Industrialisation, rapid influxes of immigrants, war, and especially
defeat in a major war, revolution etc. all may provoke changes in political values
and beliefs, with subsequent strains on the political system and in this way
there is continuous development in political culture.
In ancient India, monarchy prevailed and people were not politically
aware and the political culture was parochial in nature. However, with the
coming of the British the different Kingdoms in India were consolidated in the
hands of a single political power, i.e., the British. The discontaintment of the
people during the British period made the people aware of their rights and
duties. The political culture in India showed a marked change. Earlier, politics
was confined to a certain few of the population but now politics became
broadened and caste factor begun to influence the Indian polity. The national
movement made the people politically aware. When the British left India in
1947, India embraced the parliamentary form of government, the idea of which
was borrowed from the British. The first general elections were held in India in
1952. The constitution of India permit every adult reaching 18 years of age to
cast their votes without any restriction. The people are now increasing their
political participation and the political culture exhibits the “participant type of
political culture”. Political culture is undoubtedly connected with the study of
politics. The study of political culture is related to the study of political

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defection, political corruption, political stratification, political socialisation,
pressure group, political behaviours, voting behaviours etc. The political system
of a country having standard political culture can easily face grave dangers.
13.5. The Role of Political Culture on Policy Making
Ever since human beings started pondering over the nature of
polity; the study of politics has fluctuated between two poles. At one end the
behaviour of the state and intentions of the king were regarded as the most
significant aspect. The emphasis was on political institutions as they were
considered as key agencies of social control and change. At the other end, the
major stress was to learn about the quality and quantity of those political
factors or conditions which affect the political events and institutions. A
political system, (wherein the public policies are made and implemented) is the
persisting pattern of human relationships through which authoritative
decisions are made and carried out.
A political system is distinguished from other social systems by
four characteristics, viz:
 it is universal in its reach, extending to all members of a society;
 it claims ultimate qontrol over the use of force
 its right to make decisions is accepted as legitimate; and
 its decisions carry weight' bearing the force of law and can enforce
obedience as well submission.
Efforts are made by the rulers in the political system, for
maintenance and development purposes, through various public policies
formulated and executed from time to time. Understanding of the environment
to decide intelligently the best alternatives out of the available choices for
making policies is done through policy analysis. Policies play a significant role
in shaping and re-shaping the lives of people in a given political system. It is,
therefore, important to know about policy analysis because, through it, efforts
can be made to (1) have sound and desirable policies and (2) bring required
changes in the policies already in the offing.
13.6. Conclusion
In Indian politics, as in any state politics, the opposition parties
label charge that the government is running through corruption, nepotism and

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favouritism. In India the people are not against the operation of pressure
groups as it is also the essential feature of democracy. In India, as the political
socialization continued, people’s orientation towards political understanding
also underwent a change from time to time. The kind of political culture that
exists now-a-days in India may be characterized as participant political culture.
People have become more aware of their rights and duties. They are now
actively involved in the process of democratic political functioning as the
policies are formulated on the basis of beliefs, values and attitudes of the people
which are descriptive, prescriptive and comparative in nature.

13.7. Model Questions

1. Explain the components and types of political culture

2. Bring out the role of political culture in policy formulation

13.8. Answer for the Questions

For Question Number 1 .. Refer Section 13.3.

Question Number 2 .. Refer Section 13.4. and 13.5.

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