5. Political Culture Flashcards
Is political culture a long- term, intermediate or short- term explanation of democratization ?
- It could be classified as both long-term and intermediate
- It changes but not very often
- The opinions we form based on our culture changes quickly; those are more intermediate
What is political culture
- The cultural values that are relevant for understanding political attitudes + behavior
- Values —> shape the way we think about politics and the way we engage in politics.
- Cultural values —> political attitudes —> political behavior
What is difference between cultural values + political attitudes?
- Political attitudes:
Can change more often than cultural values - Cultural values: are the values we learn in the family/ environment growing up through socialization (more stable).
Congruence theory
- Political regimes only stabilize if their authority patterns match a populations authority beliefs
- What population finds legitimate is key in stabilizing regimes
- Political culture underpins democracy, if culture does not match institutions —> result is instability.
this means that authoritarian regimes can be supported by citizens, but data cannot always seen as reliable
Problems with Congruence theory
- In case of authoritarian regimes: they could be supported, but can also be stable due to strong army/ oppression.
- Cultural values change over time, so regime change also should, but it doesn’t
- Cultural values are different for everyone
- The causality can also run the other way; institutions can also socialize citizens, except of socialization of citizens leading to certain institutions
- With this theory you end up blaming citizens for the way their regime is.
Modernization theory in Political culture
- and why it leads to democracy
- Rising levels of wealth, education, urbanisation —> generate Increasingly assertive citizens that demand democracy
- It facilitates democracy because it increases citizens resources for collective action: material means, intellectual skills, connective opportunities
- It facilitates democracy because it changes cultural values
How does Modernisation changes cultural values
- As we get more wealthy —> we get more post- materialistic values
- The conditions you grow up in as a child shape your values
- Depends on economic + physical security
- However, as old materialists die out, society should be getting more post-modernalistic. Empirical results reveal that younger generations aren’t way more postmaterialistic.
+ Ingeharts theory of value change
Ingleharrs theory of value change
Post- materialistic values change examples:
- equality
Human rights
Environmentalism
More assertive towards authority
Self-expression
More say in politics
Emancipatory theory of Democratisation
(Adaption theory of value change by inglehart + Wezel)
- Inglehart + Wezel specify value change theory, saying that modernization leads to emancipatory values
- Emancipatory values are :
personal autonomy,
gender equality,
reproductive choice,
popular voice. - They claim these are universal values that support democratization and that these will develop as countries experience modernisation
- There is an idea with supply + demand with these emancipatory values
Supply + demand emancipatory values
(Emancipatory theory of Democratisation)
- Elite supply of democratic freedoms = civil entitlements
(The degree to which these freedoms are supplied) - Mass demands for democratic freedoms= emancipatory values
- Match supply- demand = stability
- Over- supply = autocratic transition
- Over-demand = democratic transition
Critique on emancipatory theory of Democratisation
- Institutions could influence values, instead of values influencing institutions
- Why would you measure support for democracy through emancipatory values when you can just ask people if they support democracy
> measuring progressive cultural values which would mean conservatives can’t support democracy which is empirically not true. !
Huntington: political culture & Religion
- Says that Christian countries have an easier time democratizing than Muslim countries
- Muslims are more traditional and have a harder time accepting emancipatory values
- Some religions have more traditional values and traditional values support hierarchy, which is bad for democratization.
Problems with Huntingtons theory about political culture & RELIGION
- Traditional values can still be democratic
- Does the same difference between Christian and Muslim countries exist; if you remove the resource curse?
- There are democratic Muslim countries
Democratic ambivalence.
Argument for looking at political attitudes directly
(Instead of looking at post material values or emancipatory values)
- Look at support for democracy & autocracy
- Why? People can support both
- Maybe they do not really have an idea of what democracy is
- This is called democratic ambivalence
