Political culture means the shared values, beliefs, and attitudes that people have about the government and political system. It helps us understand political behavior and why similar political institutions work differently across countries. In comparative politics, studying the types of political culture, the evolution of political culture, and the importance of political culture is very important to know how citizens participate in politics and support the political system.
Political culture is an important concept and an important approach in comparative politics. It helps us understand how people think about politics and how they participate in the political system. Every society has its own attitudes, values, and beliefs that shape political behavior. These ideas influence how citizens support democracy, authority, and governance.
In political science, the political culture approach connects traditional and modern approaches. The traditional approach studies only political institutions. The modern approach focuses on political behavior and citizens’ participation. Political culture explains why political systems may look similar but function differently in different countries. It plays a key role in the development of political participation, political socialization, and democratic values.
Meaning of Political Culture
Political culture means the shared attitudes, values, beliefs, feelings, and expectations of people about the political system. It shows how citizens view politics, how they trust the government, and how they participate in political life.
It reflects their opinion towards power, authority, democracy, and political leadership. Political culture helps us compare different societies in comparative politics.
Definitions of Political Culture
Below are important scholar-based definitions used in political science:
Almond said that political culture is the pattern of attitudes, beliefs, and feelings of citizens towards the political system and political institutions. He focused on how political culture influences political participation.
2. Sidney Verba
Verba explained political culture as a system of orientations towards political objects like government, political processes, and policies. He studied how citizens take part in politics in different societies.
3. S. E. Finer
Finer described political culture as the broad set of political traditions, values, and expectations that guide political life in a society. He believed political culture shapes political order and stability.
4. Lucian Pye
Pye defined political culture as a set of emotional attitudes and symbolic responses that provide meaning to political actions. He highlighted the psychological aspect of politics and public behavior.
5. Samuel P. Huntington
Huntington said political culture decides the level of legitimacy, stability, and authority of a political system. He believed a strong political culture supports strong governance and democratic survival.
Evolution of Political Culture Approach in Comparative Politics
The concept of political culture did not appear suddenly. It evolved step by step as scholars tried to understand why political systems behave differently across the world. The political culture approach in comparative politics developed from a focus on institutions to a deeper study of people and their political behavior.
1. Traditional Phase (Before the Second World War)
In the early period, political science followed the traditional approach. Scholars mostly studied constitutions, elections, and formal institutions. The culture and behavior of citizens were not central. Important thinkers who influenced early ideas:
- Aristotle: linked politics to civic virtue, community life, and the role of citizens in the polis. He emphasized how habits and moral values shape political systems.
- Montesquieu explained how climate, geography, and customs shape governance.
- Alexis de Tocqueville: Studied civic habits and democratic participation in America.
- Max Weber: Developed ideas on authority, legitimacy, and political values.
They did not use the term political culture, but they connected politics to society and norms. This set the foundation.
2. Turning Point: Second World War (Major Shift)
The Second World War exposed the limitations of studying politics only through laws and institutions. It raised difficult questions:
- Why did some societies accept extreme authoritarianism
- Why did democracies survive in some countries but collapse in others
- How did propaganda shape behavior
This pushed scholars to study public attitudes, beliefs, identity, nationalism, propaganda, and political loyalty. Political science began shifting from an institutional focus to a behavioral approach.
3. Behavioral Revolution and Modern Political Culture Approach (1950s to 1970s)
This is the time when political culture became a core subject in comparative politics. Researchers started using surveys, field studies, and psychology to understand political behavior. Key scholars and their contributions:
- Gabriel Almond: Introduced the concept of political culture, which focused on citizen orientations.
- Sidney Verba: Co-author of “The Civic Culture”, studied democratic values
- Lucian Pye: Highlighted emotional and psychological involvement in politics
- S. E. Finer: Classified political cultures based on institutional maturity
- David Easton: Connected political culture with support for the political system
This period explained how attitudes, values, and beliefs influence democracy. It strengthened empirical study in political science.
4. Post-Behavioral and Critical Phase (1970s to 1990s)
Scholars began expanding and questioning earlier findings. Issues like class, identity, and ideology gained more attention. Major contributors:
- Ronald Inglehart: Idea of post-materialist values in advanced societies.
- Samuel P. Huntington: Linked political culture with civilizational differences.
- Research expanded to Asia, Africa, Latin America, not only Western democracies.
Comparative politics became more global and analytical.
Learn important insight:- The Meaning, Nature, and Scope of Comparative Politics here.
5. Contemporary Phase (2000s to Present)
Today, the political culture approach continues with new tools and broader topics:
- Surveys like the World Values Survey, Afrobarometer, and Eurobarometer
- Digital citizenship and online political participation
- Identity politics, nationalism, social movements
- Mixed political culture and hybrid democracies
Modern comparative politics combines institutions, behavior, and culture to understand political change.
Types of Political Culture
Political scientists Gabriel Almond and Sidney Verba classified political culture into three major types in their famous work The Civic Culture (1963). This classification is widely used in comparative politics to understand how citizens think about and participate in the political system. The three ideal types are:
- Parochial Political Culture
- Subject Political Culture
- Participant Political Culture
These types help us understand the connection between people and politics in different countries.
1. Parochial Political Culture
Parochial political culture is found in societies where people have very little awareness of the national government. Citizens are not involved in voting, political discussions, or policy matters. Their main concern remains local issues, family authority, village leaders, and traditional customs.
In this type of culture, the political system does not play an important role in people’s daily lives. They neither expect anything from the government nor try to influence it.
Examples of Political culture are :
- Tribal communities in Africa
- Remote forest areas with indigenous lifestyles
- Traditional villages with no direct contact with national politics
Here, the people are politically unaware and do not participate in national politics.
2. Subject Political Culture
Subject political culture exists in countries where people know the government exists, but they cannot influence political decisions. They understand rules, laws, and authority, but remain passive. They follow the orders of rulers, pay taxes, and accept policies without questioning them.
This culture is common in authoritarian and centralized systems where participation rights are controlled.
Examples of Subject Political culture are :
- Citizens under an absolute monarchy, like Saudi Arabia
- People living in a dictatorship or under military rule
- Rural India during the Mughal Empire or the British Colonial period
In this culture, citizens become subjects of authority, not active members of democracy.
3. Participant Political Culture
Participant political culture is a feature of modern democratic countries. People are well informed about politics and actively take part in elections, debates, protests, and political activities. They believe that their participation can bring change in society.
Citizens show strong political awareness and feel responsible for influencing government actions.
Examples of Participant Political culture are :
- USA, UK, India, where people vote in large numbers
- Youth participation in campaigns and social movements
- Civil society and media shaping government policies
Here, people act as active participants in democracy and governance.
Mixed Political Culture and The Civic Culture
In most societies, people do not have the same level of political awareness or participation. That is why no country follows only one culture, such as Parochial, Subject, or Participant. Instead, nations show a mixture of all three types. This creates a Mixed Political Culture, where some people are highly active in politics, some remain passive, and others focus only on local or traditional matters.
The Civic Culture: The Ideal Mixed Political Culture
Gabriel Almond and Sidney Verba explained the most desirable type of mixed culture, known as Civic Culture. This culture supports democracy because it balances respect for authority with active citizen involvement. People participate responsibly but also trust political institutions to maintain stability.
Key Features of Civic Culture
• Citizens respect laws and democratic values
• People participate in voting and public discussions
• Trust in government and institutions remains high
• Differences are solved through peaceful debate
• Media and civic groups create political awareness
Examples of countries with Civic Culture
• United States
• United Kingdom
• Germany (modern democratic behaviour)
These countries show high voter participation, strong political education, and stable democratic institutions.
Other Forms of Mixed Political Culture
Some countries are still developing a strong democratic culture. Their political systems show mixed behaviour, but not fully civic.
1. Parochial Subject Culture
People start recognizing national politics, but remain inactive. They depend more on traditional leaders than political parties.
Examples of Parochial subject culture are :
• Remote rural Indian communities
• Tribal regions in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Villages in Nepal with limited political engagement
Here, participation is low even if awareness slowly grows.
2. Subject Participant Culture
Citizens trust authority and gradually increase participation due to growing literacy and media exposure. The political structure is moving toward democracy. Suitable Examples of Subject participant culture are :
• Brazil
• Indonesia
• Mexico
• South Africa (post-apartheid transformation)
These countries are strengthening democratic behaviour step by step.
3. Parochial Participant Culture
People want to take part in politics, but their political knowledge is weak. High excitement with low awareness sometimes causes political unrest. Best Examples of Parochial Participant culture are :
• Afghanistan after the regime changes
• Myanmar during democratic transitions
• New democracies in Eastern Europe
This form can create instability if political education is limited.
Samuel E. Finer’s Levels of Political Culture
Samuel Finer focused on political stability and institutional maturity. He identified four levels of political culture, based on how developed and stable a political system is. These are:
- Mature Political Culture
- Developed Political Culture
- Low Political Culture
- Minimal Political Culture
1. Mature Political Culture
In this culture, citizens show deep trust in political institutions. People actively participate and share common values about authority and legitimacy. Laws are respected, and power transfers happen smoothly.
Examples are Stable democratic countries like the UK and Canada.
2. Developed Political Culture
Institutions are strong and society is organized, but disagreements exist about the proper distribution of power. Participation is high, but consensus is not fully achieved. Examples are emerging democracies where political competition is strong.
3. Low Political Culture
Political institutions are weak, public participation is limited, and there is less agreement on national goals. Parties and leaders are not fully trusted. Examples are Countries facing frequent political instability or corruption.
4. Minimal Political Culture
The government does not care about public opinion. Political decisions depend on force, military power, or dictators. People do not participate, and legitimacy remains weak. Examples are military regimes and unstable authoritarian states.
Lucian Pye’s Contribution to Political Culture
Lucian Pye emphasized the psychological and cultural side of politics. He believed that political culture is shaped by people’s feelings, beliefs, and identity. His work focused more on developing countries and political development.
Main Points are :
- Political culture is about how people think and feel about politics
- Culture shapes modernization and nation-building
- New states face crises like identity, participation, legitimacy, and distribution
He showed how culture affects the success or failure of political development, especially in Asia and Africa.
Huntington’s View on Political Culture
Samuel P. Huntington did not classify political culture into types like others. Instead, he linked political culture to civilizations. In his work The Clash of Civilizations (1996), he said that future conflicts will be based on cultural and civilizational differences, such as Western, Islamic, Hindu, Sinic, etc.
Key point :
Political culture is part of a bigger civilizational identity, which determines global political relations.
Importance of Political Culture
Political culture plays a very important role in shaping how a political system works. It influences not only leaders and institutions but also how citizens think, feel, and participate in politics.
Key reasons why political culture is important:
- It creates stability by building trust between people and the government
- It shapes political participation, such as voting, activism, and public debates
- It supports the legitimacy of political institutions and leadership
- It guides how citizens respond to political changes and policies
- It strengthens national identity and unity among different groups
- It helps maintain democratic values such as equality, freedom, and justice
- It influences political decisions and encourages accountability
When citizens understand their rights and duties, democracy becomes strong. When they are unaware or passive, governments may become authoritarian. So, political culture is the foundation of a healthy and successful political system.
Political Culture in India
India has a diverse and dynamic political culture because of its culture, languages, caste, religion, economy, and regional identities. It is unique due to the mix of both traditional and modern political values.
Important features of political culture in India:
- Democratic mindset: People believe in elections, voting, and constitutional rights
- Diverse participation: From urban youth to rural communities, everyone takes part in politics
- Strong political symbols: Constitution, national flag, and national leaders unite the country
- Combination of tradition and modern values: Panchayati Raj and modern parliament co-exist
- Influence of caste and religion: Social identities shape voting behavior
- Respect for leadership, along with the growing demand for accountability
- Rise of political awareness through media, education, and technology
India’s political culture is mostly a participatory political culture, but subject and parochial elements still exist in some areas due to poverty, illiteracy, or lack of awareness.
This mix shows India is a developing and evolving democracy, where political consciousness is growing every year.
Conclusion
Political culture is a key part of comparative politics because it explains why different societies think and participate in politics in different ways. It includes the attitudes, beliefs, and values of citizens toward their political system. Scholars like Almond, Verba, Finer, Pye, and Huntington helped us understand how political behavior shapes governance and democracy.
The study of types of political culture, such as parochial, subject, and participant, also shows how people’s awareness and participation affect political stability. In India and many other countries, political culture continues to change due to education, media, development, and political socialization.
In simple words, political culture helps us understand how citizens connect with their government. This political culture approach remains important in comparative politics because it helps compare how different societies behave, participate, and influence political life. A strong and active political culture always supports a strong and stable democracy.