American Political Culture
...ppened to the colonists. The American Revolution has caused political culture in our country to fixate on the assertion and maintenance of rights. Because Americans tended to be wary of people in power, it became difficult for the Founders to create a form of government that the colonists would accept. The Constitution was designed to protect the American people from the “darker side of human nature” (95). By creating a federal system with divided political authority, the Constitution offered widespread opportunity for Americans to get involved in politics. As a result of the opportunities available to Americans, they began to believe in the importance of the participation of citizens in government. A third source of political culture in America is religion. The dominant religion in the early years of American was Protestantism. This religion required people to live a life of personal achievement along with religious dedication. A believer had an obligation to work, save money, obey the secular law, and do good works. Today, Americans continue to share these beliefs, commonly referred to as work ethic (hard work and personal achievement). Americans with good work ethic tend to be motivated to take part in community action. This has led to the development of a participatory political culture. The final source of political culture in the United States is the family. As well as culture and values, the family passes on political beliefs from generation to generation by s...