American Political Culture

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American Political Culture
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Who are we and what do we value?

• Diversity and Multiculturalism (Immigration)
• E Pluribus Unum Out of Many, One
• Melting Pot
• Liberalism
• Social individualism and Economic (Capitalism)
• Equality
• Equality of Opportunity vs. Equality of Results
• Where do our beliefs come from?
• Political Socialization

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Immigration

• Before 1882 Open Immigration
• 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act
• 1907 Gentlemans Agreement
• 1921 Congress passes law encouraging
  immigration from Western Europe, but not Central
  or Southern Europe (assimilation)
• 1929 National Origins Act (quotas of 150,000
  per year)
• 1952 Revisions N.O.Act (communists)

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Immigration

• Immigration Act of 1965
• Abolished quotas discriminating against
  nationalities
• Substituted overall limit of 170,000 immigrants
  from the Eastern Hemisphere and 120,000
  immigrants from the Western Hemisphere
• By limiting the number of immigrants from Latin
  America, the Immigration Act of 1965 touched off
  a serious illegal immigration problem

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Immigration Before 9/11

• United States admits approximately 900,000 legal
  immigrants every year
• Another 300,000 people who illegally cross the
  border
• Immigration and Naturalization Service estimates
  that about 5 million illegal aliens currently
  reside in the United States
• Proposition 187 Californias Save our State
  amendment (1994)
• President Bushs push for amnesty

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Reaction to 9/11 Immigration

• Public opposition to immigration balloons as many
  Americans
• Bushs call for amnesty disappears from his
  agenda
• Increased security along boarder with Mexico
• Strict enforcement of people illegally
  overstaying their visas

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E Pluribus Unum
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Liberalism

• Social Individualism
• Inherent belief in American society that
  individuals are responsible for their own lot in
  life
• Belief that government should not interfere with
  the lives of individuals
• Economic liberalism (capitalism)
• Laissez-faire economics
• Belief that government should not interfere with
  the private sector

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Equality

• Equality of Opportunity
• All individuals should have an equal chance to
  advance through individual talent and hard work
• Soft affirmative action
• Equality of Results
• All individuals have a right to more or less
  equal part of the material goods that society
  produces
• Driving force behind Supreme Court support for
  affirmative action
• Bakke Decision (UC-Davis Med School)

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Stability and Change

• American public policy is characterized by
  enormous stability
• Why is this the case?
• Ideological stability
• Public opinion
• Structure of the system
• However, political events can lead to rapid
  changes
• 9/11, school shootings, oil spills, Enron