INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE: POL101

POLITICAL CULTURE &

PUBLIC OPINION

Salman Haider (SHr1)

Lecturer
Department of Political Science &
Sociology
NORTH SOUTH UNIVERSITY
 WHAT IS POLITICAL CULTURE

 Beliefs, symbols, values and sentiments about the political system are the political
culture of a nation.
 The political culture of a nation is determined by its history, economy, religion and
folkways. Political culture is a sort of collective political memory.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=rXt8rU97NMQ
 Hitler’s political culture which
invaded half of Europe
 3 TYPES OF POLITICAL CULTURE (ALMOND &
VERBA)
1 Parochial Political Culture:
• Where the people have no understanding of the national political system, do not possess any
tendency to participate in the input processes and have no consciousness of the output
processes, such a type of political culture is called parochial political culture. African tribes
and Eskimos fall in this category. Such types of people have no role to play in the political
culture.
2 Subject political Culture:
• This type of political culture is found in the monarchies. There the people are aware of the
governmental system whether they like it or not. They also know the role of the government
regarding law making, enforcement of laws and tax collection etc. In this type of culture
people are not taught to participate in the input functions. Sometimes they are not allowed to
do so, so the people find it difficult how to influence the working of the political system.
 3 TYPES OF POLITICAL CULTURE
3 Participant political Culture:
In this type of political culture people are quite keen to participate
in the political system and influence it’s working. They are always
busy making reasonable demands on the political system and are
involved in the making of decisions. They develop a particular
attitude towards the political system. Political parties and pressure
groups (interest groups) fall in this category and decide for
themselves what role they can play.
 POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION
Political Socialization:
Process whereby we obtain our life-long political values
and orientations.
• Manner
• Speech
• Convictions (a concrete
belief/ opinion
AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION

•Family
•School
•Peer Groups
•Mass Media
•Government
PUBLIC OPINION:

• Public opinion concerns people’s reactions to specific and immediate policies

and problems (example: sending troops overseas)
• Public opinion refers to political and social issues, not private matters
• Public opinion is important in a democracy
• Public opinion often shows widespread ignorance
• Governments often try to create the public opinion
• Government is vulnerable to public opinion
FACTORS THAT PRODUCE PUBLIC OPINION VIEWS:
• In general no social category is 100% for or against something;
• Different countries have different salient features that affect public opinion
(example : In Scandinavian countries, social class is more salient in structuring
party preferences. In Catholic Europe- religion and region are salient. In USA
religion and urban-rural differences are salient

• Socialclass •Age
• Education •Gender
•Region •Ethnic group
•Religion •Elite and mass opinion
THANK YOU!