6. Democracies and their citizens: how and why are political culture and political participation changing in democracies?

Question 1

Definition of political culture ?

Answer 1

Term that comparativists use to describe attitudes, beliefs and values of citizens and their leaders, especially regard to their political regime. Exists at an individual and national level

Question 2

Definition of political socialization ?

Answer 2

Process by which citizens and leaders acquire their political attitudes, values and beliefs. Exists at an individual and national level

Question 3

Blog “French politics” by ?

Answer 3

Arthur Goldhammer

Question 4

Definition of legitimacy

Answer 4

The extent to which people in a country recognize or believe in the regime’s or the government’s authority to rule over them

Question 5

Without legitimacy, governments have to use…

Answer 5

Coercion or intimidation

Question 6

3 conditions for a democracy to be legitimate according to Malcolm Gladwell ?

Answer 6

• Perceived as respectful
• Fair (the rule of law)
• Trustworthy

Question 7

Legitimacy is not up to..

Answer 7

Outsiders but to the people of the country

Question 8

The earliest systematic comparative study of participation ?

Answer 8

Almond and Verba’s The Civic Culture 1963

Question 9

Typology of political cultures by Almond and Verba ?

Answer 9

• Participants : people engaged in the politics in some way (US, UK)
• Subject cultures : people who passively obey the rules (Germany, 1960s)
• Parochial cultures : people who are hardly aware of politics at all (Mexico)

Question 10

Composition of advanced democracies in general ?

Answer 10

60% participants, 30% subjects, 10% parochials

Question 11

Almond and Verba introduced the concept of…

Answer 11

Civic culture = the ideal political culture at the national level in which subject and participant cultures are mixed so that people participate and have, at the same time, respect for the rulers and the regime

Question 12

“The Silent Revolution” ?

Answer 12

Inglehart, key academic, 1977, post-modernism

Question 13

Post-materialism ?

Answer 13

Generations that grow up in an era of political peace and economic prosperity are less concerned with issues of material well-being and security than people who grew up in periods of upheaval or depression.

Question 14

First people are concerned with the basics, and once these are fulfilled they move on to other issues like gay rights or abortion : who said that

Answer 14

Maslow, “Theory of human motivation”, 1943

Question 15

Effect of the 2008 hit on the political culture

Answer 15

Return of material insecurity (US)

Question 16

First appearance of post-materialistic dynamics

Answer 16

1960-70s, societies more prosperous

Question 17

Consequences of new models for political regimes

Answer 17

• Party voter “dealignment” : fewer young people identify with a particular party and stick to this party for their lifetime
• Strains on regimes that face protests
• Democratic deficit in Europe (EU)
• Political scepticism

Question 18

Vote is much more individualized because…

Answer 18

Because people have access to information and education and rely less on social groups

Question 19

What do the 2008 crisis and the rise of China show ?

Answer 19

Democracies are not as legitimate as we thought ; the Chinese regime is efficient.

Question 20

Political skepticism marks a…

Answer 20

Long-term (secular) cross-national decline of people’s trust in the longest established democracies over the last 70 years

Question 21

Example of political survey

Answer 21

Eurobarometer implemented by the EU

Question 22

Who calls the current population “critical citizens”, “dissatisfied democrats” ?

Answer 22

Pippa Norris

Question 23

Fareed Zakaria : more government or less ?

Answer 23

More, democratic “crisis”. In favor of the return to a smaller state.