Disconnected by Conflictual Culture
Just as those who have commented before, the political culture of America is by no means consensual, due to the push-and-pull nature of our government. The current state of American politics exposes the contrasting ideologies within American political culture. Core elements of American political culture; personal liberty, individualism, civil society, religious faith and freedom, and democracy may be important to all Americans, but are viewed differently by divided groups of people. Split ideologies characterize our culture not as one international culture, but a country consisting of subcultures.
Ever since the 2000 presidential election between Gore and Busch, states have been categorized into Red and Blue states because of their conservative or liberal beliefs that the states' populations generally represent. Red Americans tend to live in rural areas like the Midwest and South whereas Blue Americans live in urban areas, near coasts and in the North and Northeast. Their stereotypical areas divide the country into two parts, which disturbs political unity in many situations.
On the political spectrum, these ideologies oppose each other, as both have different morals and believe in different solutions to major problems that our country faces. Both sides are not loyal to the same values because they are conflicted by contrasting moral systems. In general, "Red America is traditional, religious, self-disciplined, and patriotic. Blue America is modern, secular, and self-expressive" (Brooks). These values influence their actions and shape their perspectives on issues, which explains why it is so difficult to pass legislation or reach decisions effectively. For instance, more people voted for Busch than Gore because they felt that Busch did not try to impress people as an intellectual, and was a person that could relate with common person. The conservatives' support for Busch exposed their traditional-minded beliefs, and the liberals' support for Gore showed their focus on images and education. Ultimately, both groups of people have a different conception of the self, which in turn shapes their political beliefs and brings Americans further apart from each other.
Conservatives and liberals especially hold different opinions of each other because they do not support each other's philosophies. This is reflected in the news, where conservative and liberal politicians repeatedly argue over issues and are unable to come to a compromise. For example, it is not a surprise that control in the House and the Senate is so important for Democrats and Republicans. Through majority power, a political party is more likely to serve their own interests and have more influence than opposing minority parties.
By understanding how influential the roles of political ideologies are becoming, it is easily decided that this country is becoming more and more divided. Already, according to BBC, people who have previously had mixed political opinions have joined conservative or liberal parties. The gap between these political parties that make up political culture is continuing to widen.
The video below explains the division of American politics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOocxd9qGHA
Ever since the 2000 presidential election between Gore and Busch, states have been categorized into Red and Blue states because of their conservative or liberal beliefs that the states' populations generally represent. Red Americans tend to live in rural areas like the Midwest and South whereas Blue Americans live in urban areas, near coasts and in the North and Northeast. Their stereotypical areas divide the country into two parts, which disturbs political unity in many situations.
On the political spectrum, these ideologies oppose each other, as both have different morals and believe in different solutions to major problems that our country faces. Both sides are not loyal to the same values because they are conflicted by contrasting moral systems. In general, "Red America is traditional, religious, self-disciplined, and patriotic. Blue America is modern, secular, and self-expressive" (Brooks). These values influence their actions and shape their perspectives on issues, which explains why it is so difficult to pass legislation or reach decisions effectively. For instance, more people voted for Busch than Gore because they felt that Busch did not try to impress people as an intellectual, and was a person that could relate with common person. The conservatives' support for Busch exposed their traditional-minded beliefs, and the liberals' support for Gore showed their focus on images and education. Ultimately, both groups of people have a different conception of the self, which in turn shapes their political beliefs and brings Americans further apart from each other.
Conservatives and liberals especially hold different opinions of each other because they do not support each other's philosophies. This is reflected in the news, where conservative and liberal politicians repeatedly argue over issues and are unable to come to a compromise. For example, it is not a surprise that control in the House and the Senate is so important for Democrats and Republicans. Through majority power, a political party is more likely to serve their own interests and have more influence than opposing minority parties.
By understanding how influential the roles of political ideologies are becoming, it is easily decided that this country is becoming more and more divided. Already, according to BBC, people who have previously had mixed political opinions have joined conservative or liberal parties. The gap between these political parties that make up political culture is continuing to widen.
The video below explains the division of American politics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOocxd9qGHA
Content and Creativity = 4
ReplyDeleteVoice = 4
Text layout & Use of graphics/multimedia = 2
Quality of Writing & Proofreading = 4
Timeliness = 3
Total = 17