ABSTRACT
The median elite position on authoritarianism-libertarianism is the same in both East and West Germany. This chapter examines some important aspects of the political culture of the two parts of Germany with an eye to differences and similarities in their political cultures. It also examines the elites in terms of the ways in which they define democracy. The chapter identifies principal ideological dimensions underlying the political cultures of the regions of Germany. It compares the ideologies of the local elites of East and West German local with those of the local elites in a number of other industrialized democracies. The chapter discusses the elites of different political parties in terms of their ideological positions; a similar effort is made with respect to the citizenry in both regions. It presents a theoretical argument that might account for individuals' ideological orientations among both the elites and the broader population. Education has the predicted effect among both elites and citizens.
