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from the Civic Culture
For purposes of illustration, following are some cross-national data on political orientations, attitudes, and behaviors presented in the landmark Civic Culture by G.A. Almond and S. Verba (Princeton University Press, 1963). The data were collected in 1959 and 1960 from national samples of adults (18 years or older) in the US, Great Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, and Italy; the data on Mexico are from geographically restricted samples of those 21 years of age or older.
|
% |
|
US |
GB |
FRG |
Italy |
Mexico |
pg |
Natl govt has “great effect” on daily life |
41 |
33 |
38 |
23 |
7 |
80 |
“Never" follow politics & govt |
19 |
32 |
25 |
62 |
44 |
89 |
Sources of national pride (open ended; multiple responses poss; only selected categories shown here) |
|
|
|
|
|
102 |
Government, political institutions
Position in international affairs
Economic system
Characteristics of people
Physical attributes of country
Nothing or don’t know |
85 |
46 |
7 |
3 |
30 |
|
5 |
11 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
|
23 |
10 |
33 |
3 |
24 |
|
7 |
18 |
36 |
11 |
15 |
|
5 |
10 |
17 |
25 |
22 |
|
4 |
10 |
15 |
27 |
16 |
|
Don’t expect equal treatment from the police |
8 |
4 |
15 |
15 |
5 |
108 |
Don’t feel free to discuss politics with anyone |
18 |
12 |
32 |
34 |
21 |
120 |
Distribution of positive, neutral, & negative opinions of opposition parties |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Positive (right v left)
Positive (left v right)
Neutral (right v left)
Neutral (left v right)
Negative (right v left)
Negative (left v right) |
70 |
32 |
43 |
8 |
32 |
131 |
63 |
41 |
24 |
4 |
32 |
|
9 |
13 |
18 |
12 |
1 |
|
9 |
9 |
9 |
19 |
6 |
|
17 |
54 |
26 |
80 |
63 |
|
23 |
47 |
28 |
45 |
37 |
|
Can do something about an unjust local regulation |
77 |
78 |
62 |
51 |
52 |
185 |
In doing something about unjust local regulation, what?
Try to enlist aid of others
Act alone |
191 |
59 |
36 |
21 |
9 |
28 |
|
18 |
41 |
41 |
43 |
24 |
|
Agree that “most people can be trusted” |
55 |
49 |
19 |
7 |
30 |
267 |
Membership in voluntary associations |
57 |
47 |
44 |
29 |
25 |
302 |
Remember “no influence” in family decisions |
22 |
26 |
37 |
37 |
40 |
331 |
Note: In many cases Almond and Verba find, within nations, education effects, such that those with higher levels of education are more likely to report attitudes or behaviors that would characterize the “participant” in civic culture. For example, in the “feeling of relative freedom to discuss politics,” there are these results in percentages (p. 122):
|
Primary or less |
Secondary |
Some university |
US |
49 |
70 |
71 |
GB |
59 |
70 |
83 |
FRG |
35 |
52 |
60 |
Italy |
30 |
53 |
59 |
Mexico |
39 |
54 |
54 |
This would suggest that, insofar as average educational attainment is related to economic development, differences between the five countries may reflect, at least in part, levels of economic development rather than purely cultural differences in the political systems.
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