What is political culture? Is America experiencing a "culture war"? How do you know?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

An ideal response will:
1, Define political cultureas the set of overall values that are widely shared within society. Americans have a set of shared beliefs, based on the Declaration of Independence.
2, Explain what is meant by a culture war.
3, Provide the competing views on whether or not there is a culture war. For example, some scholars like John Q. Wilson have noted the polarization between liberals and conservatives. This polarization may set people against one another. On the other hand, some scholars suggest that there is no culture war in America. Wayne Baker, for example, finds little evidence of a culture war. Even contentious issues like abortion do not provide evidence of a culture war.
4, Evaluate whether we are having a cultural war in the United States. Weigh the arguments on both sides of the culture war discussion and consider what a culture war would look like.