Compare and contrast the three political cultures. Which one do you believe is the best for Texas?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The ideal answer should include:
1. In the individualistic culture, private concerns are more important than public concerns. Those who ascribe to this political culture support relatively low taxes and smaller government and have a general distaste for politicians.
2. This is in contrast to the moralistic political culture, which focuses on the collective good and considers the desires and needs of the community. In this culture the desires of the community, not individual interests, hold sway over policy.
3. Somewhat different than these two is the traditionalistic political culture, which emphasizes a rigid desire to maintain traditional customs and values. Those who ascribe to this political culture have an intense resistance to change.
4. Students should come up with some reasoning that draws from one of the political cultures and tie it to some aspect of policy (smaller government, better protection of the environment, etc.) in Texas. For example, if, as the authors state, voters choose and the winners get to spend tax dollars implementing their goals, then the will of the community should be deemed paramount. Thus, the moralistic political culture would be best for Texas's collective good.