ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author examines Ralf Dahrendorf's work as it relates to the political culture concept. He updates Dahrendorf’s criteria, at least on three of his four criteria: equality of citizen rights, the rational regulation of conflict, and the public virtues and relates these changes to the remade German political culture of the post-war period. The author explores the causes and consequences of these cultural changes. It was actually not until the 1970s, as interest and research in political culture faded in the United States, that this concept became very prominent in Germany. In the early post-war years, there was a widespread indifference to politics of any kind— a great withdrawal and privatization took place. In explaining change, one must also point to the process of political socialization in the postwar period. Finally, political democracy could take root in post-war Germany because there was no credible, legitimate alternative to what the Western occupiers offered.
