What is political culture?
Political Culture refers to the set of attitudes, beliefs, and values, that shape how people understand and interact with the government and politics.
What role does Political Culture play?
It influences how people form political opinions, engage in political processes, and interact with government institutions.
What is Absolutism?
Absolutism is a political system where a single ruler holds all power, often justified by divine right, with no checks on their authority.
How did the Enlightenment Period impact views of authority?
The Enlightenment promoted ideas of reason and individual rights, challenging traditional authority and promoting the idea that government should be based on consent and rationality.
What is Classical Liberalism?
Classical Liberalism is a political ideology that emphasizes individual freedom, limited government, and free markets.
What are the core ideas of Classical Liberalism?
Political: Democracy, individual rights.
Moral: Natural rights to life, liberty, and property.
Economic: Free markets, limited government intervention.
How does Absolutism differ from Classical Liberalism?
Absolutism centralizes power in a single ruler with no limits, while Classical Liberalism advocates for limited government, individual rights, and democratic principles.
Who was Thomas Hobbes?
Thomas Hobbes was a philosopher who argued for an absolute monarchy and believed that in the state of nature, life would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
Who was John Locke?
John Locke was a philosopher who believed in natural rights (life, liberty, property) and argued that government should be based on the consent of the governed.
What is the Social Contract?
The Social Contract is a theory that people consent to surrender some freedoms to a government in exchange for protection of their remaining rights.
How did Hobbes’ view of the Social Contract differ from Locke’s?
Hobbes believed in a powerful ruler with little to no right for rebellion, while Locke implies that government will simply lose its legitimacy if it fails to govern based on the consent of the governed.
What are the principles of Limited Government?
Limited Government principles include restricted government power, separation of powers, checks and balances, and protection of individual rights.
How are Classical Liberal Principles reflected in the U.S. Government?
The U.S. Constitution embodies these principles through checks and balances, separation of powers, and protection of individual liberties in the Bill of Rights.
Who was Jean - Jacques Rousseau?
He was the radical democratic thinker that embraced revolutionary ends if needed.
Who was Jeremy Bentham?
He believed in utility which was pleasure vs pain. He also believed actions are morally right if they elevate happiness; morally wrong if they effectuate pain.
Who was John Stuart Mill?
He believed in Enlightened Self-Interest(delayed utility maximization)
How is political culture defined in relation to nation formation?
Political culture is the set of principles guiding how a nation's people associate, aimed at finding a common good and resolving conflicts through the institutions they create.
What does the nation-state represent in terms of political culture?
The nation-state is the highest form of association, under which all other forms are subject to its guidance, influencing social, economic, and civic institutions.
Why is understanding political culture essential for grasping societal dynamics?
By understanding a nation's political culture, we can better comprehend how its people associate to resolve differences and forge a unified vision through their governing structures.
How do institutions reflect political culture?
Institutions embody the cultural principles of a nation, influencing how citizens interact and cooperate to address conflicts and pursue the common good.