AMERICANPOLITICALCULTUREManyThirdWorldnationshaveadoptedtheAmericanconstitutionalmodel,hopingtoinstitutefeaturessuchasfederalism,anelectedpresident,abicamerallegislature,andseparationofpowers.Mostofthesehaveexperiencedbriefperiodsofdemocracyinterruptedbymilitarytakeovers,theriseofdemagogues,andwholesalecorruption.ItistheAmericanpoliticalculturethathasallowedtheAmericanmodeltoendureintheUnitedStates.KEYTERMScivicduty politicalefficacyculturewar politicalideologyexternal"efficacy politicalsubcultureinternalefficacy workethicpoliticalcultureKEYCONCEPTSInadditiontopoliticalvalues,economicandreligiousvaluesshapepoliticalculture.Takentogether,allofthesevaluesclarifythesignificanceofAmericanpoliticalculture.Americansincreasinglymistrustgovernment.Politicalefficacyisacitizen'scapacitytounderstandandinfluencepoliticalevents.Americanspracticeenoughpoliticaltolerancetoallowcivildiscourse.PUBLICOPINIONANDPOLITICALBELlEFSGovernmentactionandinactiondonotalwaysmatchpublicopinion.Thisapparentcontradictiontotheanimatingprincipleofdemocraticgovernmentoccursforseveralreasons.First,theFramersoftheConstitutionsetupagovernmentthatdoesnotalwaysgivethemajoritywhattheywant.Measuringpublicopinionisalsoverydifficult.Finally,activeparticipantsingovernmentaremoreapttoachievetheirgoalsthanistheuninvolvedgeneralpublic.KEYTERMSconservative politicaleliteliberal politicalideologymoderate politicalsocializationpoliticalcleavages publicopinionKEYCONCEPTSDefiningpublicopinionintheUnitedStatesisadifficulttask.Politicalattitudesarederivedfrommanysources,amongthemfamily,religion,gender,andeducation.Socialclass,raceandethnicity,andregioncreatecleavagesinpublicopinion.Politicalideologyisacoherentandconsistentsetofbeliefs.Politicaleliteshave'greatinfluenceonAmericanpublicopinion.

POLITICALPARTICIPATIONThelowrateofparticipationinnationalelectionsincomparisonwithEuropeandemocraciesisasourceofgreatembarrassmenttotheUnitedStates.However,theproblemmightbebasedlessonapathyandmoreonproblemsofvoterregistration.Americansparticipateinwaysotherthanvoting.toamuchgreaterextentthanotherdemocracies.KEYTERMSactivist polltaxconventional participationregisteredvotersFifteenthAmendment Twenty-sixthAmendmentgrandfatherclause unconventionalparticipationliteracytest VotingRightsActof1965motor-voterlaw whiteprimaryNineteenthAmendmentKEYCONCEPTSTheAmericanelectoratehasexpandedthroughextendedvotingrightsforminorities,women,andyouth.VoterturnoutintheUnitedStatesisrelativelylow,andtherelativelydifficultprocessofvoterregistrationprobablyaccountsforit.TherearemanylevelsandformsofparticipationintheAmericanpoliticalsystem.ELECTIONSANDCAMPAIGNSAmericancampaignsareunique.Runningfornationalofficerequiresanindividualeffort-inmanyotherdemocracies,runningfornationalofficerequiresapartyeffort.Thecandidatedecidestorun,raisesmoney,andappealstovotersonthebasisofpersonalityanddefinitionofissues.PoliticalpartiesareplayingadecreasedroleinAmericanelections.KEYTERMSCaucus partyrealignmentFederalElectionCommission politicalactioncommitteesgeneralelection gerrymanderingpositionissues incumbencyprimaryelection independentexpendituressoftmoney malapportionment1974FederalCampaignReformLaw partycoalitionsvisuals BipartisanCampaignReformActof2002CitizensUnitedv.FederalElectionCommission CoordinatedandindependentexpendituresKEYCONCEPTSPresidentialandcongressionalcampaignshavesignificantdifferences.Campaignsarelongandexpensive,relyingincreasinglyonmediatocommunicate.Campaignfinanceisacontinualsourceofreformincampaigns.

POLITICALPARTIESAmericanpoliticalpartiesareamongtheoldestintheworld.Atonetimepartiescouldmobilizevotersinawaythatgavelocalmachinesenormouspower.Today,partiesarerelativelyweakbecausethelawsandrulesunderwhichtheyoperatehavetakenawaymuchoftheirpower.Inaddition,manyAmericanshavelosttheirsenseofcommitmenttoanyparticularparty.KEYTERMSdividedgovernment politicalpartyeconomic-protestparty realignmentfactionalparty RepublicansFederalists solidaritypartyideologicalparty splitticketJacksonianDemocrats sponsoredpartyminorparty superdelegatesnominatingconvention thirdpartyone-issueparty two-partysystempluralitysystem Whigspoliticalmachines winner-take-allsystemKEYCONCEPTSPoliticalparties,oncestrongintheUnitedStates,arenowincreasinglyweak.Politicalpartiesfunctiondifferentlyatthenational,state,andlocallevels.INTERESTGROUPSTheUnitedStatesisacountryofdiverseinterests.TheAmericanconstitutionalsystemprovidesformanypointswherecitizensandgroupscanaccessthegovernment~includingthepresident,thecourts,andCongress.Inaddition,politicalpartieshavebecomerelativelyweak.ThesefactorshavemadetheUnitedStatesripefortheemergenceofthousandsofinterestgroups.KEYTERMSdirectmail lobbyistenvironmentalmovement membershipinterestsfeministmovement politicalactioncommitteesgrassrootslobbying socialmovementinstitutionalinterests unionsinterestgroupsKEYCONCEPTSThegrowthofinterestgroupsinrecentdecadesisasignificantchangeinAmericanpolitics.SeveraltypesofinterestgroupsexistinAmericanpolitics.Interestgroupsengageinmanydifferenttypesofactivities.THEGROWTHOFINTERESTGROUPSInterestgroupshaveexistedsincethecountrywasfoundedIndependence-eragroupssuchastheSonsofLibertyareearlyexamples

MASSMEDIAThemediaintheUnitedStatesenjoyadegreeoffreedomgreaterthanthatinvirtuallyanyothernation.Nowadays,governmentofficialshavealove-haterelationshipwiththemedia.Politiciansneedthemediatoadvancetheircareers,buttheyfearthemedia'spowertocriticize,expose,anddestroy.KEYTERMS.adversarialpress nationalmediaattackjournalism partypressC-SPAN presssecretaryfeaturestories popularpressFederalCommunicationsCommission routinestoriesinsiderstories sensationalismInternet soundbiteinvestigativejournalism trialballoonmuckrakersyellowjournalismKEYCONCEPTSThemediahaveevolvedasmoresophisticatedformsofcommunicationhavebecomeavailable,changingtheroleofmediainAmericanpolitics.Governmenthassomecontroloverthemedia,buttherecenttrendofderegulationischangingwhatmediaareallowedtodo.ThemediaarethemajorsourceofinformationaboutthegovernmentfortheAmericanpublic,andtheyhaveamajorimpactonhowpoliticsareconducted.