Introduction
Culture is the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior. It also includes language, taboos, ideas, beliefs, customs, rituals, codes, tools, techniques, works of arts, institutions, ceremonies, and other related components. In political terms, culture can be stated as a set of societal beliefs. It is simply what citizens anticipate their government to deliver. Ideologies, on the other hand, are ideas or principles that a group believes in. A body of principles determines the way a group of people thinks. This paper seeks to highlight the importance of political culture and ideologies in promoting national development.
Assumption
Political ideologies and cultures are regarded as good across the populace i.e. all citizens of a nation find them healthy.
Author’s view
Cultures and political ideologies are extremely valuable aspects of any nation. They have an impact on the way a nation thinks and thus influence the way a nation acts. Political culture is static, while political ideology is dynamic. Culture and ideologies shape the way a particular society operates. Since political ideology is a set of principles or ideals that deal with a nation or a group, it explains how society should work. The main concern of political ideology is how power is to be allocated and the degree to which the powers are exercised. In most cases, it is seen as the background of a political party and its corresponding policy. Political culture is what the public expect of their government. The constitution clearly stipulates various rights. Political culture is considered static because the government mostly determines it. Political ideology, on the other hand, is dynamic because the people mostly determine it, and in some cases, the government totally does not involve in it (Gwynne & Kay, 1999, p.33).
The two prominent ideologies are conservatism and liberalism. Liberalism ensures that the government act in a way to achieve equality of opportunity and justice. It promotes equal distribution of wealth and government spending on social amenities that are going to benefit the citizens. It also focuses on addressing the needs of women and minorities. Conservative ideology gives the private sector freedom, and this will lead to improved development in the country. It favors limited government, which ensures order, personal opportunity and competitive markets. Libertarianism ideology treasures the autonomy of a person and maintains on minimal government. It promotes free market economy and a noninterventionist foreign policy.
My view
Political cultures consist of fundamental political values, accepted processes and institutions that help manage conflict as well as in resolving conflicts. Commitment to liberalism embraces the importance of individual equality, liberty, power to people, private property, nationalism, limited government, idealism, optimism, democratic consensus, the rule of law and justice (Gwynne & Kay, 1999, p.37). Countries, which practice the values of trust, generalized morality, belief in the importance of effort of an individual and autonomy is likely to experience higher per capita Gross Domestic product. Conservative ideologies accelerate economic growth in a country. The system however, increases the gap between the rich and the poor. The rich become richer while the poor on other hand get poorer.
Conclusion
Constructive political ideologies are of much importance if a country is to develop. Political ideologies will determine the way citizens view the government and this will influence the motivation of the citizens. Citizens motivated by altruistic ideologies and cultures are likely to work harder and thus the country is going to develop. Good political ideologies and cultures also foster healthy relationships with other nations. This will attract foreign investors leading to improve developments in the country. It is therefore important for a government to create suitable environment that will allow fostering of healthy ideologies. The government has a role to develop a culture that will allow equal opportunities to all citizens.
Reference
Gwynne, R. N., & Kay, C. (1999). Latin America transformed: globalization and modernity. London: Arnold.