The American political culture has evolved due to various contributing factors. The American political culture involves the shared beliefs, values, and norms between the American citizens and the government and citizens to citizens. These beliefs and values shape the country’s democracy and economics. The American culture is composed of several elements, such as liberty, equality, nationalism, the rule of law, capitalism, individualism, and democracy, which shape the political culture (US history, 2022). This article will analyze several events, such as immigration, world wars, civil wars, the Theory of the melting pot, and other factors that have shaped the American political culture in the twenty-first century.
The American political culture was greatly influenced by immigration. The high number of immigrants from all over the world during America’s early years greatly shaped the political culture. According to (Giuliano et al., 2020), the age of mass migration in America played an important role in the development of the American political culture. The European immigrants preferred liberal political ideologies, which they passed to the American natives during the period. This ideological preference for European immigrants led to their integration into the Democratic party (Guiliano et al., 2020). Immigrants helped lower the preferences for redistribution of Americans, allowing democracy to thrive.
The Theory of the melting pot played a significant role in shaping the American political culture. The melting pot referred to the integration of various ethnic groups from all over the world, leaving their native cultures and assimilating into the predominant society. The melting pot brought various diversified ideologies to the nation, which further contributed to the advancement of democracy (Leslie et al., 2020). The melting pot allowed the assimilation of various races and ethnic groups with their diverse political ideologies, further shaping political culture.
The American political culture was greatly shaped by the civil wars the country experienced. According to (Shelden, 2019), the civil war provided the most creative and organizational era in the shaping of the political ideology in America. The civil war period saw the country experience advanced political participation and a shift in governance. The civil war period also saw a more powerful and centralized government foresaw many enslaved Americans’ release (Shelden, 2019). The abolition of slavery during this period allowed enslaved people to participate in voting, which led to the development of democracy.
The participation of America in the world wars also played a significant role in shaping American political ideologies. The world wars allowed America to become the world’s leading global power which saw the American political leaders strive to maintain the status (nationalww2museum, 2020). The end of the first world war saw America grant women the right to vote hence diversifying the political culture. The second world war saw the development of anti-communist groups, such as the Red scare, that opposed communism and advocated for capitalism and individualism. These waves allowed America to embrace democracy in its political culture fully.
In conclusion, American political culture has evolved throughout the years due to several factors. Immigration allowed a melting pot to occur, which led to the assimilation of the different diverse groups shaping their political ideologies. The civil war also saw a shift of political preference with abolishing the slave trade. The world wars also provided a base for the advancement of democracy, with women being provided with the right to vote and a reduction in communism. These factors shaped the political culture in the twentieth century.
References
Guiliano P., & Tabellini M. (2020, May). The seeds of ideology: Historical immigration and political preferences in the United States. NBER. https://www.nber.org/papers/w27238
Leslie, L. M., Bono, J. E., Kim, Y. S., & Beaver, G. R. (2020). On Melting pots and salad bowls: A meta-analysis of the effects of identity-blind and identity0-conscious diversity ideologies. APA PsycNet. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-54272-001
The National WW2 Museum. (2020, October 22). Great responsibilities and new global power. The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/new-global-power-after-world-war-ii-1945
Shelden, R. A. (2019, December 4). The politics of continuity and change in the long Civil War era – Volume 65, issue 4, December 2019. pdcnet.org. https://www.pdcnet.org/cwh/content/cwh_2019_0065_0004_0319_0341
Ushistory. (2022, October). American political culture [ushistory.org]. US History. https://www.ushistory.org/gov/4a.asp