ABSTRACT
This chapter examines four additional features of political culture by focusing on public opinion surveys. First, on a left/right ideological scale, how do Europeans differ from Americans? Second, how do Europeans and Americans feel about the "state"? Third, Americans are often said to be more "individualistic" compared to Europeans, who tend to argue that success and failure is determined not only by individual effort but also by outside forces, such as luck or the "system". Finally, is there an equivalent in Europe of the "American Dream"? Is there a "Swedish Dream" or a "German Dream"? What exactly is the "American Dream" and does it actually exist? The concept of "social constructivism" suggests that people's attitudes and values are socially constructed, i.e., they are made up, an artifice of the collective imagination.
