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Chapter 10 — The Political Values of Political Actors Study Chapter
Summary Chapters 6 through 9 dealt with political
philosophical questions about what the good life looks like and what the major
political ideologies contribute to this discussion. Chapter 10 considers
whether this is all merely talk. Just because theorists of liberal democracy
say they value justice and believe in individual freedom does not mean that
countries professing to be liberal democracies practice what they preach.
Similar philosophical questions can be asked about communist countries and
social democratic nations. Therefore, the focus of chapter 10 is, How do the
actual political
values of political actors compare with values such as peace,
liberty, and welfare? What do the
professed values of political actors really mean? Can political actors
harmonize different, sometimes competing, values? Finally, how do the values of
political leaders differ from the values held by common citizens? The guiding hypothesis for this chapter
is fourfold: First, the
political values of political actors are rooted in their vital needs,
fundamental interests, and perceived desires. Second, the
struggle over political values is conditioned by differing interpretations of
needs, interests, and desires by diverse political actors and by the historical
distribution of power. These factors make for both conflict and consensus in
politics. Third, the world
of politics often contains serious gaps between professed values and actual
behavior. Fourth, although
prediction is hazardous, the future will probably include a major
constitutional and democratic struggle between what we might call broad values
and narrow values. This struggle will manifest itself in a number of ways,
including in a struggle between broader global needs and narrower national
interests. One of the key factors determining
how nations act is concern for what is in the national interest. The
national interest, to a significant degree, is determined by such issues as
security and peace for the nation; the professed commitment to liberty, human
rights and democracy; the desire for justice, which demands a balancing of
liberty and equality; and the need for welfare and economic
well-being of all citizens. Of course, to an important degree, these
values are shaped by the views of citizens. Chapter 10 also investigates what
citizens believe. What shapes their values? How do these values vary from
country to country? There is considerable evidence that the values of the
people who make up political communities are rooted in, and correlated with, a
hierarchy of human needs: for sustenance and safety, for belonging and esteem,
and for intellectual, aesthetic, and social fulfillment. Of related importance is the perceived
gap between popular values (the values held by the individuals who make up the
nation) and national values (the values of governing leaders, elites, and
parties). The normal assumption is that in genuinely democratic countries
national and popular values are pretty much in agreement. But is this the case?
There is some evidence that, in the United States, political elites are more
respectful of civil liberties than is the public at large. To some critics,
this is a good thing because the values of typical citizens can often be fickle
and uninformed. Many public surveys confirm that citizens are remarkably
ignorant of basic political facts. However, this view has been challenged by
recent research that shows that basic policy preferences of Americans are actually consistent and not subject to
irrational changes. Our investigation of values invites both
hopeful and fearful forecasts. Individual values are correlated with a
hierarchy of needs, and it becomes obvious why such values are firmly rooted in
human biology, psychology, and sociology. Thus, such fundamental values cannot
be so easily ignored by governing elites. However, we must be concerned about
the ways these values can come into conflict, either within a nation or between
nations. Chapter
Objectives After reading this chapter, you should be
able to...
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