On the Concept of Political Culture: A Theoretical Reassessment

This paper considers the basic requirements for retaining the concept of political culture as a useful theoretical category. First we examine two main pitfalls often found in current usages: reductionism and normative bias. Then we respecify the concept in terms of (1) the political activities focused on, and (2) the significance of the symbols, either institutional or legitimational. Next we offer some generalizations about the internal dynamics of political culture. Finally, we suggest that political culture be treated as a “specifying variable” in the explanation of political behavior.