American Political Culture

American Political Culture is Conflictual

Political Culture: set of widely shared beliefs, values, and norms concerning the ways that political and economic life ought to be carried out. Today, citizens of the U.S. are sharply divided on legitimacy of the regime and solutions to the most talked about topics. For example, the most influential and hottest talked about topic- the presidential election. The country is broken up into "Blue" and "Red" states.

In One Nation, Slightly Divisible, David Brooks creates stereotypes of how people in the "Red" and "Blue" states differ from each other. There also seems to be an important distinction between men who work outdoors and men who work indoors. The outdoor guys wear faded black T- shirts and wrecked jeans that appear to be washed once a year. They are more outdoorsy and don't seem to be very ethnic diverse. So the indoor guys adopt a look that a "smart ass" sneering Blue American might call Bible-academy casual. Their image projects not "I work hard" but "I'm a devoted family man". Brooks expression exaggerates these different sides. One of the biggest difference between Red and Blue America is the statistical table. Ethnic diversity is the one. In Montgomery County 60 percent of the population is white, 15 percent is black, 12 percent is Hispanic, and 11 percent is Asian. In Franklin County 95 percent of the population is white. Which finally concludes us to a last hypothesis. America is divided between two moral systems. Red America is traditional, religious, self-disciplined, and patriotic. Blue America is more modern, self-expressive, and doesn't display as much patriotism. This culture war has two opposing armies fighting on behalf of their views.

                            

                             

In the video, "Crossfire- The great divide- red vs. blue states (part 1/3," Governor of Texas Rick Perry and Governor of Illinois Pat Quinn are debating about the minimum wage. Governor Quinn says that the minimum wage should be raised in Texas just like in Illinois because he says "Anybody working hard and raising a family should not be in poverty". He believes that anyone that is working and has a job should be payed above the minimum wage or enough to keep a family alive and stable.