ABSTRACT
The term political culture describes shared beliefs, values, and attitudes about how government should function. Researchers have sought to explain how political culture accounts for variations in the behavior of individuals and institutions, as well as
the public policies of states and nations. American political culture emphasizes the values of classical liberalism, including individualism, freedom, equality, democracy, and capitalism. But these values often collide, as they did in the California tax revolt of the 1970s. Debates over public spending often mask conflict over more fundamental values.
