Theory of Political Culture and Ideology Essay Example for Free

Theory of Political Culture and Ideology Essay A political culture can be defined as a framework of similar values, beliefs and attitudes shared by people in a certain nation or state. Such ideals and behaviors are normally related to the government and the politics of a country and they tend to develop with time to shape the views of that countrys citizens in regard to the world and their sense of what is right or wrong, just or unjust, possible and impossible (Ginsberg, Lowi and Weir 18). The concept of a political culture is properly explained using four major aspects of a government and politics. These four aspects include; understanding the relationship between a government and the citizens, the government obligations, limits of the governmental authority and understanding peoples rights and responsibilities. The importance of a political culture is to establish a background on which the politics of a nation or a state unfolds. It also sets limits and boundaries which are to be obeyed by all actors involved in a political realm. Every nation has its own political culture. For instance, most Americans believe that there is ultimate importance of individual efforts in achieving personal success and for this reason,they are generally opposed to generous welfare benefits (Clark and Schaffner 567). Ideology refers to the way in which cultures are structured to enable a government to exercise maximum control on its citizens with minimum conflicts. Ideology in simple terms refers to specific attitudes, ideas and beliefs which advocate for a systematic plan aimed at bringing change in the social, political and economic arenas of a country. Examples of political ideologies include anarchism, socialism, statism, libertarianism, fascism, communism, conservatism and communitarianism (Cummings 56). Political ideology is different from political culture in many ways. For instance, traditionalists are not necessarily conservatives the same way liberals are not moralists. The culture of American politics is deeply rooted and it is associated with democracy, constitutionalism and capitalism. In this case, democracy in the U. S is less direct as it is marked by extreme fragmentation of power by the governing body. Constitutionalism is concerned with law and attention to individual rights of its citizens while capitalism spells out the distinction between political and economic issues. The book Habits of the heart written by Robert Bellah et al describes the American culture in terms of its values, belief and expectations as well as strengths and weaknesses in relation to the manifestations to an individual and the community as a whole (pp. 143-145). Most of the values and beliefs which make up the American political culture originate from the Greco-Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Judeo-Christain, Native American, African as well as Asian cultures. The core values of the American culture contained in the American creed include life, liberty, equality and pursuit for happiness. In addition, it includes individualism, unity and diversity of various cultures. Ideals in the American culture originate from past experiences such as those obtained from its former colonist (Britain) as well as material circumstances. According to Ginsberg, Lowi and Weir, the presence of a political ideology in the American politics is very important since its absence is likely to lead to radical pragmatism which is bound to trigger bad decisions and ethics in the policy making of the political culture. The values and beliefs held in the American political culture assist the society in the war against racism and other ethnic differences. It also helps to shape the racial attitudes and facilitates democratic stability in the region. One of the most rampant characteristics of the American culture is consumerism. Consumerism is regarded as the new capitalism and originates from the dialectic of democracy and capitalism. The American societies are preoccupied by the ideals and values associated with consumerism as a result of numerous commodities and products fabricated under the television spectacles. In the past few decades, consumerism has led to the transformation of the American citizens into shoppers who are slowly taking away the state sovereignty from within (Wayne, Mackenzie and OBrien 65). The trends of consumerism are impacting a big blow on the nations democracy affecting the judgment, liberty and overall citizenship. Consumerism leads to a disorder known as citizen schizophrenia which divides the common citizens into opposing groups denying them the legitimate access to what is civic or public. Essay 2: Political Culture of Texas. The politics and the political culture of Texas has been a subject of debate for a long time now and there has been a base line describing it as a conservative type of culture(John 87). The political culture of Texas and its ideology has been well described using three major philosophical streams which include populism, social conservatism and classical liberalism. These three ideals are said to form the foundation of the Texas political culture on which permanent values, beliefs and attitudes are built and allowed to interact with other societal values in a complex way. The ideals have led to what is referred to as a low tax, low services political culture in the state. Although Texas government has undergone some immense growth in the last few decades, the low taxes, low services culture still remains firm in the state (OConnor and Sabato 256). In addition, Texas is known to have a tradition which serves business interests both small and large with a wide latitude in terms of their economic and political ventures. The state also provides subsidies for a variety of its industries ranging from road construction, sports, real estate development, manufacturing industries among others. The state government political culture further promotes oil extraction in those regions which are environmentally sensitive and it has outsourced the services which are related to human health and well being. The government has also started the process of selling the subsoil water rights of land owned by the state to private companies and individuals thus encouraging regional and foreign investments in the state. In an effort to shape its public policy, the state has a culture which permits extensive campaigns of the elected officials and it only imposes few restrictions regarding contacts between the executives in the bureaucracy and private entities. On the other hand, this political culture allows the government to tolerate a wide variety of disparities in the political access between individuals or ordinary citizens and people who are powerful either economically or politically in the state. In comparison to the political culture on the American nation as a whole, Ginsberg, Lowi and Weir argue that the Texas political culture is similar to that of the nation as a whole in that it puts much emphasis on values of democracy, equality and liberty. They however add that these values differ in the way they are expressed and exercised in the political institutions of Texas as opposed to those at national level (pp. 304-349). In addition, the Texan political political culture as classified by Prof. Elazar is moralistic, individualistic and traditionalistic (Patterson 34). In addition, the Texas political culture puts much emphasis on democracy and has been mainly dominated by one democratic party in the past although it is slowly evolving into a two party state. In conclusion it can be said that although the Texas political culture is relatively young as compared to the national political culture it is business focused as it shuns public expenditure on social programs while at the same time leaving room for huge contracts by providing subsidies on industries and permitting sale of state property to private business interests.

Of Pirate Ships and Silver Steeds :: Personal Narrative Jobs Working Papers

Of Pirate Ships and Silver Steeds We poured the foundation yesterday, and now we were pulling the forms off the cement and hauling them out--back onto Ralph, our two-ton truck. The sun beat down. As I bent over to pick up another eight incher I glanced towards the pit. First, came a black bandanna. Next, came protruding straggles of curly blond hair. Then, a grimace and a roll of the eyes--Danny's trademark--appeared as the young man hauled himself out of the hole. Following the head, came a tattered shirt and matching shorts. The holes in the shorts were normal, but when Danny turned imploringly toward me I discovered the cause of the shredded shirt. Aaron had just hopped off the top of the foundation, and he said as he walked towards the truck, "I'll be back. Tell the other guys. Just do the fillers on the outside, and then you can start on the inside. I should be back by then." Then came the usual, "Take your time. Be careful. Take lunch in a while." Dan raised his arm and asked, "Do I have one back here too? It feels like there is something there, but I can't see it." I swallowed and nodded. "Hop on in Dan," Aaron called as he started the truck. Gingerly Danny responded. They were heading for the hospital where he would receive fifty-three stitches to close up the two holes in his side. "Well, another exciting day working cement," I thought as the F-250 pulled away. Dan had slipped on his first attempt to get out of the hole, and he fell against two flat-ties protruding from the newly created foundation. Flat-ties are those thin pieces of silver metal that stick out from the walls in your basement before it gets finished. As the forms for the walls are being set in place on top of the footings, flat-ties are sent through the wall so that the inside form can be connected to the outside form. Although this whole idea about flat-ties may seem intriguing, the important thing to learn is that if one flat-tie is left out, however insignificant this may seem, the pressure of the cement is sufficient to cause a 'blowout' in the wall. Many times I think that people forget to enjoy the details in their lives, and so events turn into 'blowouts' instead of grand adventures. Mylan, my boss, has a wife and seven girls to worry about.

Max’s Burger Case Study Essay

Case Summery Max’s Burger is an emerging American fast-food chain with franchised outlet across the world. Nassar group bought the franchise rights of Max’s Burger outlet in Dubai. There were many fast-food outlet of franchised restaurants in Dubai, among them Max’s Burger’s meat quality was lower standard. As Nassar group didn’t want to jeopardize their reputation. The ordered the warehouse manager to decline any frozen food shipment that doesn’t meet the franchise standard. When the shipment came, the frozen meat temperature was little bit off which would not risk customer’s health but would affect the food taste. Though the manager didn’t considered the little mismatch of the temperature before, now he is having second thoughts. Question-1: Does the decision to accept or refuse the frozen meat shipment call for ethical or legal considerations? Why? Answer: Yes , the decision to accept or refuse the frozen meat shipment call for ethical or legal consideration. As we have seen in this case there is an ethical consideration regarding temperature problem. The temperature of the frozen meat delivered to the Max’s burgers didn’t match the government’s standard. If they accept it they will break the law. Though the deviation is little, but it puts a question on this ethical issues. Question-2: Identify the stakeholders who will be influenced by the decision to accept or refuse to the frozen meat shipment? Answer: Both Nassar group and the company supplying the meat are the stakeholders who will be influenced by the decision to accept or refuse the frozen meat shipment. If Nasaar group accept the frozen meat shipment, their sale may be decreased as a result of inconsistency.

William Shakespeare s Sonnet 18 - 1692 Words

â€Å"Sonnet 18† may be the most famous lyric poem in English. Among Shakespeare’s works, only lines such as â€Å"To be or not to be† and â€Å"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?† are better-known. On the surface, this poem is a statement of praise about the beauty of the speaker’s love interest, but when you look closely you can see how the speaker is actually praising himself for his skills. This is also Shakespeare’s first poem in the sonnets that doesn’t explicitly encourage having children. The procreation sequence of the first seventeen sonnets ended with the speaker’s realization that the they might not need children to preserve beauty, but he could also live â€Å"in my rhyme† as he says in Sonnet 17. Sonnet 18 is the first poem in which the speaker first attempts to preserve the beauty for all time, and is also a perfect example of classic Shakespearean style of writing and usage of metaphors. This poem use s several different metaphors, personification, multiple themes, and follows a traditional form to get across the point to the reader that the speaker is a well skilled and masterful poet. Four strong themes in this poem are change, fate, love, and eternity. At first glance, the poem appears as if the speaker is praising and complimenting his lover, but through closer examination you can see that the speakers main focus is showing how good of a writer he is. Images and symbols of time, decay, and eternity are in this poem because whether or not we think the lover isShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Sonnet 182829 Words   |  12 Pagesrespective poems, the poets explore love in various forms. In Sonnet 116 we see love as pure, immeasurable and immortal; William Shakespeare continues this conceit in Sonnet 18 too. Within My Last Duchess, love explores the submissive and possessive side effects of being completely infatuated, which similarly links with La Belle, however instead of patriarchal power, domination is shown through a woman. First Love is comparable to both Sonnets, in which love is portrayed passionately, presenting realRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Sonnet 181311 Words   |  6 Pages Shakespeare’s â€Å"Sonnet 18† is, on the surface, another one of Shakespeare’s poems that praises the endless and otherworldly beauty of a nameless woman, lamenting that Death will eventually take it, as he takes everything. However, there is more to this sonnet than it seems. While the aforementioned description is true, the rhyming couplet coupled with Shakespeare’s trademark mastery of language and wordplay create a completely different reading experience. It is its own self-fulfilling prophecyRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Sonnet 181231 Words   |  5 PagesShakespearean sonnets are famous for conveying the most famous of love poems; they consist of three quatrains that are written in iambic pentameter. Shakespeare deviates from the regular iamb pattern of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable to represent the effect of time and how it is limited by mortality. William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 illustrates the theme of immort alization and how Shakespeare eternally captures his love for poetry. It is in his ability to immortalize hisRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Sonnet 18 And 130900 Words   |  4 Pages(Line 1). These are both two of the famous lines from William Shakespeare’s sonnet 18 and 130. William Shakespeare was an intelligent English playwright, poet, and dramatist during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. He is known as one of the greatest playwrights of all time. Sonnet 18 and 130 are two of Shakespeare’s most famous poems. Sonnet 18 is a love poem about how he compares the woman’s love to a summer’s day. Sonnet 130 has a different approach. It is still a comparisonRead MoreAnalysis Of William Shakespeare ´s Sonnet 18 And Percy Shelleys Ozymandias994 Words   |  4 Pagesbeen at the epicenter of many great works. Both William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Percy Shelley’s Ozymandias discuss love for one’s self. Although both poets utilize figurative language to describe how love can be represented, they do so in very different ways. Shakespeare employs nature to act as a symbol for the love of life. In contrast, Shelley implements metaphor and allusion to demonstrate how love is finite. William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 is a love note to a young man. It was common duringRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare and Edmund Spenser771 Words   |  4 Pagesworks of William Shakespeare and Edmund Spenser it is clear that some similarities are apparent, however the two poets encompass different writing styles, as well as different topics that relate to each other in their own unique ways. In Shakespeare’s â€Å"Sonnet 18† and Spenser’s â€Å"Sonnet 75†, both poets speak of love in terms of feelings and actions by using different expressive views, allowing the similar topics to contain clear distinctions. Although Edmund Spenser’s â€Å"Sonnet 75† and William Shakespeare’sRead MoreComparing And Contrasting Two Sonnets1141 Words   |  5 Pages Comparing and Contrasting Two Sonnets ‘Sonnet 116’ by William Shakespeare and ‘What Lips My Lips Have Kissed, And Where, And Why† by Edna St. Vincent Millay are both sonnets that discuss companionship and a glimpse of each poet’s experiences. In ‘Sonnet 116’, Shakespeare illustrates how capability is weakened by its metaphysical stereotype and ideals such as, love, while on the contrary, in ‘What Lips My Lips Have Kissed, And Where, And Why† Millay feeds on the chaos between the idealRead MoreDifferent Versions Of Shall I Compare Thee And A Summer s Day?967 Words   |  4 PagesTwo Versions of Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day? William Shakespeare was the original author of the famous sonnet â€Å"Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?†. Shakespeare’s intentions for writing this poem was to compare his beloved to a Summer’s Day. Shakespeare wrote and published this original version of Sonnet 18 in 1609, but was rewritten in the early 1900’s by Howard Moss. Shakespeare s sonnets were published only once in his lifetime. For nearly two centuries after their first appearanceRead MoreLove in Shakespeares Sonnets 18 and 130 Essay703 Words   |  3 PagesAlmost four hundred years after his death, William Shakespeares work continues to live on through his readers. He provides them with vivid images of what love was like during the 1600s. Shakespeare put virtually indescribable feelings into beautiful words that fit the specific form of the sonnet. He wrote 154 sonnets; all of which discuss some stage or feature of love. Love was the common theme during the time Shakespeare was writing. However, Shakespeare wrote about it in such a way that captivatedRead MoreThe Sonnet By Sir Thomas Wyatt1167 Words   |  5 Pagesthere are many different types of groups within poetry. There are various types of poetry -- which include the sonnet. The sonnet was introduced by an Italian poet named Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) who introduced the creation in the 13th century (Applebee 295). He wrote over 300 love sonnets, a great number of them were dedicated to a woman named Laura. Centuries passed in which sonnets were not as popular; his work was later rediscovered by two lovelorn poets. Their names were Sir Thomas Wyatt