ABSTRACT
The concept of political culture implies that the values, beliefs, and skills of the public have an important impact on politics, particularly democratic institutions. These orientations are relatively central and enduring, but can change slowly, largely through intergenerational population replacement. Political culture varies from one society to another and is transmitted from generation to generation through the socialization process. However, the first hand experience of each generation also shapes its outlook, so that culture can vary from one generation to another. Civic Culture is a coherent syndrome of personal life satisfaction, political satisfaction, interpersonal trust, and support for the existing social order (see Almond & Verba, 1963). In this chapter, I consider how economic and international developments, elite bargaining, and cultural characteristics are linked to a stable democracy.
