Lesson 4: Fundamental Values
In this lesson, we will discuss our political culture and the political
socialization that helps maintain that culture, as well as define some basic
values held by Americans. We will then look at a couple of specific scenarios
where basic values can conflict, such as when order takes priority over
liberty, or when liberty and equality come into conflict. We will also talk
about an often controversial value – economic equality – and how that conflicts
with a widely-held value, the right to property. Finally, we will learn about
how our capitalist economy reflects our near-universally held belief in the
right to property.
What the framers of the U.S. Constitution put together was a government with
political stability by the will of the people. But, Political Culture was going
to be the glue that holds it all together.
Political Culture is the patterned set of ideas, values,
and ways of thinking about government and politics that characterizes a people.
Even though there are
disagreements, there is a general understanding about certain things such as
the rights to liberty, equality, and property.
With a population that has the ability to change,
how do we keep our understanding of basic values? Political Socialization
accomplishes that.
Political Socialization is the process by which people acquire political
beliefs and values.
Through family and our educational system, we can raise future generations, and
we can instill immigrants with the values upon which this country is based.
When we discuss Civil Liberties,
we are talking about such freedoms as religious freedom and freedom of speech.
Civil liberties are those personal freedoms that are protected for all
individuals in a society.
Our religious freedom means we can choose which religion to practice or we can
choose to not practice any religion at all. Freedom of speech is probably one
of our most important freedoms because without it, a democracy cannot even exist.
Our basic liberties are more than just freedom of religion and
freedom of speech. There are quite a few of them actually.
They are called the Bill of Rights and
they are the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
They include other rights such as the right to assemble peaceably, the right to
bear arms, and the right to due process of law.
Not all Americans agree on all of our basic rights. There is a political
struggle over these liberties because they do not have a general consensus.
A substantial number among us contend that certain liberties threaten order.
The Right to Privacy is one such liberty. Of course, the Right to Privacy is
implied in most other liberties that we have. But, some privacy is not
guaranteed.
When Americans feel they need heightened security,
that is when order takes priority over civil liberties. It has happened
throughout history for the security of the nation.
During World War II after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor,
Japanese Americans were placed in
camps throughout America for the duration of the war because they seemed to
pose a threat.
Even more recently, though, order took priority over civil liberties when we
were attacked on September 11, 2001. The government tightened security in
airports, created a no-fly list, and gave the NSA some new directives.
"All men are created equal" is very clear stated in
the Declaration of Independence. What exactly does that mean?
As a political value, Equality is the idea that all people are of equal worth.
But, that
has not always been the case. Certain liberties have been denied to specific
groups, like the right to vote for black men and the right to marry for
same-sex couples.
Years ago,
it might have been okay to
deny someone equal treatment based on the color of their skin or sexual
preference.
That is why promoting equality often requires limiting the right to
treat people unequally.
When the right to treat people unequally is limited, liberty and equality seem
to conflict. But when everyone in America is protected under the same laws,
that is when liberty and equality compliment each other.
Economic equality is a controversial issue because it is not simply viewed as
giving equal opportunity to underprivileged individuals.
Egalitarianism is a system in which wealth and
power are redistributed more equally.
There is great opposition to
the redistribution of wealth even though there is strong support for the
reduction of economic inequality.
The Right to Property seems contrary to the right of economic equality. If
property is anything that is subject to ownership, then reducing economic
inequality seems to counter that, because property would be taken from one and
given to another.
The issue is that all groups that make up America are interested in
owning property. Taking from one group so that
another can have more, runs counter to what most Americans want.
America has a capitalistic system. That means that
we have an economic system characterized by the private ownership of
wealth-creating assets, free markets, and freedom of contract.
That is the desire of most Americans. The supporters of a total egalitarian
system have had great difficulty in finding the following they need.