In recent news, both domestic and international, a great deal of attention has been given to the new buzzword, political culture. Any definition of political culture must understand both the leadership of the country in question and the society that supports (or, for that matter, does not support) the governmental structure in power. Political culture is a significant factor in international relations and also provides a great starting point for any discussion about domestic policies and practices in the political culture in America.

Political culture and economics influence politics, government, and public policy in multiple ways because they are shaped by numerous interests, each of which is likely to have competing motives. Political culture is a broad term that refers not only to political parties, their members, and the constituents they represent, but also to domestic and international interests that demand policy responses. For instance, the terrorist attacks of 2001 were aggressive actions against the United States that required the political culture of this country to respond with an articulated, goal-oriented policy.

Although most legislators supported the executive branch of government in the decision to declare war, we now see how the political culture of the country has fragmented and new policy responses are being discussed. The influence of economics research has played a significant role in the policy reformulations that have been proposed; indeed, it might help us to understand how political culture has shifted. Because the federal government has appropriated trillions of dollars for the war at this point according to policy driven by legislators, diverting money away from other important domestic and foreign interests and projects, the economic impacts of the war are compelling some legislators to reconsider the policy of a war that has no projected end-point.

Using the same example of the current war, we can also begin to understand how values shape the U.S. political structure. In addition, we see how competing values-or competing interpretations of the same set of values-can affect the political structure and policy outcomes. President Bush insists that the value of freedom must be protected by fighting and by spreading democracy; however, other members of the political culture assert that freedom is achieved through diplomacy and negotiation. Thus, while the parties agree upon the value, the means of upholding or defending the value are quite different. The war is but one example of these kinds of dynamics; there are many others as well. Political culture and the economy will always influence policy, as will differing interpretations of values.

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