American Government and Politics: Deliberation, Democracy, and Citizenship

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Chapter Five Civic Culture

• American Government and Politics Deliberation,
  Democracy, and Citizenship

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Chapter Five Learning Objectives

• Explain the meaning of civic culture and tell how
  it helps distinguish the United States from other
  industrial democracies
• Define the concept of individualism in American
  life

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Chapter Five Learning Objectives

• Explain how religion has so much influence
  despite the separation of church and state
• Analyze how patriotism has both united Americans
  yet given rise to disputes over free expression

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Chapter Five Learning Objectives

• Briefly sketch the role of giving and
  volunteering in American society

STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images
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Introduction to American Civic Culture

• What are some values you associate with the
  American civic culture?

MATTHEW J. LEE/Boston Globe/Landov
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Introduction to American Civic Culture

• Four elements of American civic culture
• Individualism
• Religion
• Patriotism
• Civilian community service

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Power and the Individual Individualism

• Characteristics of American individualism
• Self-reliance and individual responsibility
• Favor individual rights
• Belief that economic competition is good
• Modest social programs as compared to other
  nations

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Power and the Individual Reformism

• In the 19th century, people were concerned about
  the increasing power that political party
  machines, wealthy financiers, and corporations
  exerted in government.
• As a result, the Progressive movement grew in
  opposition to those forces.

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Power and the Individual Reformism

• Progressive movement ideas
• Concentration of power was the threat
• Need to reform electoral processes
• Award government jobs based on the civil service
  system, not political appointees

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Religion and American Politics

• With a constitutional guarantee of the separation
  of church and state, why do you believe religion
  has been able to be so influential in American
  politics?

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Myths and Misinformation

• On America, Alexis de Tocqueville has been quoted
  as stating that he did not understand the secret
  of her genius and power until he visited
  American churches.
• Tocqueville was misquoted, but that statement is
  still used today because of its adaptability to
  different causes.

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Religion and American Politics Born in Mission

• The Pilgrims came to America seeking religious
  freedom and drafted the Mayflower Compact to
  establish a civil body politick.
• The Puritans soon followed and many religious
  denominations have their roots in the Puritan
  reform movement.

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Religion and American PoliticsRevolution and
Founding

• Religious ideas in early America
• First Great Awakening
• Enlightenment
• Deism

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Religion and American PoliticsSlavery and Civil
Rights

• Religious beliefs influenced both pro-slavery and
  anti-slavery movements.
• The Second Great Awakening focused on issues
  related to social improvement and moral reform,
  and abolishing slavery was an important goal of
  many during this movement.

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Religion and American PoliticsIndividual Conduct

• Religious beliefs affected opinions on
• Prohibition of alcohol
• Plural marriage
• Abortion rights

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Religion and Politics
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Religion and American PoliticsEducation

• How has religion affected education?
• Many private universities have religious
  backgrounds
• Northwest Ordinance linked religion with
  education
• Scopes trial brought issues of religion and
  public education to national political agenda

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Religion and American PoliticsSocial Welfare

• The Social Gospel movement stressed the role that
  religion should play in charitable work and
  solving social problems such as poverty and child
  labor.
• The ideas of the Social Gospel movement are still
  alive in American politics today.

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Religion and American PoliticsFaith and Votes

• Have religious beliefs affected voting behavior?
• Moral Majority
• Christian Coalition
• Black churches

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International Perspectives

• Views of American religiosity
• Europe has more secular views than America
• 2006 poll of the British found that 82 believed
  that religion causes division and tension
• 2005 Pew Global Attitudes Project found that many
  industrial nations thought that Americans were
  too religious

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Patriotism
Source Pew Research Center for the People and
the Press, Trends in Political Values and
Core Attitudes 19872007Political Landscape
More Favorable to Democrats, March 22, 2007,
at www.people-press.org/reports/pdf/312.pdf.
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Patriotism and Civil Religion

• American civil religion
• Roots are in Judeo-Christian tradition
• Americans should seek a higher power
• Nondenominational references to God prevalent

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Patriotism Symbols and Rituals

• Many symbols and rituals of patriotism have
  religious traditions
• Great Seal of the United States
• Liberty Bell
• Declaration of Independence display
• Opinions on flag desecration and reciting the
  Pledge of Allegiance

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Pledges and Promises

• The Pledge of Allegiance
• First version created in 1892 with minor changes
  in 1923 and 1924
• Congress added phrase under God in 1954
• For some, the pledge embodies the relationship
  of community, religion and military service

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Patriotism and Military Service

• Throughout history, many Americans have expressed
  their patriotism through military service.
• Other motivations for military service
• Job training and employment opportunities
• Benefits for veterans

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Problems of Patriotism

• Do you believe that patriotism places greater
  importance on one nation over another?
• Do you believe that cosmopolitism is a better
  approach? Why or why not?

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Community Service

• Why has community service become such an
  important component of American civic culture?
• As an American do you feel an obligation to
  community service?
• In what ways have citizens served their
  community?

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Community Service

• Americans have served in many ways
• Participation in civic organizations
• Charitable giving and volunteering

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Community Service Private Effort and Public
Policy

• How has the government promoted community
  service?
• White House Office of Faith-Based and
  Neighborhood Partnerships
• Peace Corps and AmeriCorps
• Tax exempt status to nonprofit organizations

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Civic Culture and Deliberative Democracy

• Issues that have affected civic culture and
  deliberative democracy
• Economic and social change
• Growth in size of government
• Judeo-Christian religious traditions and
  emergence of new religious traditions due to
  immigration

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Deliberation, Citizenship, and You

• Education as responsibility
• President Obama has emphasized the importance of
  higher education to the country
• Critics have said that job training may be more
  important than postsecondary education
• Are you pursuing a higher education because of a
  sense of obligation to the country?

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Summary

• Several characteristics define the American civic
  culture and have helped make the American
  experience and history unique
• If we understand these characteristics, we will
  better understand many of the enduring issues and
  attitudes in American politics