Sources of con ict in American politics 15Sources of Conflict in American Politics
Where does political conflict come from? The reality is that conflict must be addressed
in order to find compromise and enact policy. Sometimes, however, disagreements
resist resolution because of inherent differences among people and their opinions
about government and politics.Economic Interests
People’s economic interests today vary widely, and they constitute a source
of conflict in politics. In contrast, relative economic equality was a defining
characteristic of our nation’s early history—at least among white men—since
small landowners, businessmen, craftsmen, and their families constituted a large
majority of the nation’s population. Compared with our European counterparts,
the United States has, historically, been relatively free from class-based politics.
Over time, our nation has become more stratified by class, to the point that the
United States now has one of the highest levels of income inequality among
developed nations. Nonetheless, a broad commitment to the free market (an
economic system based on competition among businesses without government
interference) and to economic individualism (the autonomy of individuals to manage
their own financial decisions without government interference) remains central to
our national identity.
Despite this basic consensus on economic principles and a history relatively
free of class-based politics, there are important differences among American
citizens, interest groups, and political parties in terms of their economic interests
and favored economic policies. Democratic politicians and activists tend to favor
more redistributive tax policies (that is, tax policies that attempt to create greater
social equality, such as taxing the rich at higher percentages than the middle class
or the poor) and social spending on programs for the poor. Democrats are also more
inclined to regulate industry to protect the environment and ensure worker and
product safety, but they tend to favor fewer restrictions on the personal behavior
of individuals. Republicans favor lower taxes and less spending on social policies.
They are also more supportive than Democrats of the free market and less inclined
to interfere with business interests, although many Republicans favor regulation
of individual behaviors, such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and marijuana
consumption.Cultural Values
Another source of conflict in American politics is differing cultural values.
For example, political analysts often focus attention on the culture wars in the
United States between “red-state” Americans, who tend to have strong religious
beliefs, and “blue-state” Americans, who tend to be more secular. (The color
coding of the states comes from the election-night maps on television that show
the states carried by Republican candidates in red and those won by Democrats
in blue—but see the What Do the Facts Say? feature for a more nuanced take
on this.)IDENTIFY MAJOR
SOURCES OF CONFLICT IN
AMERICAN POLITICSfree market
An economic system based on
competition among businesses
without government interference.redistributive tax policies
Policies, generally favored by
Democratic politicians, that use
taxation to attempt to create social
equality (for example, higher taxation
of the rich to provide programs for the
poor).culture wars
Political conflict in the United States
between “red-state” Americans, who
tend to have strong religious beliefs,
and “blue-state” Americans, who
tend to be more secular.Full_02_APT_64431_ch01_002-029.indd 15 16/11/18 1:35 PM