In the United States, there still exists a fairly stable political consensus or political “high culture” often obscured by a misplaced emphasis on so-called polarization. The left and right in America constitute predominant subcultures, smaller components of the overall high culture. As Almond and Verba put it, “Left and right tend to accept the existing political structure and differ only on the substance of policy and political personnel.” Both sides, for instance, revere the constitution while emphasizing different elements and taking away their preferred meaning from its many ambiguities. A look around the world would reveal an America composed of a bunch of bickering moderates. This is not to diminish deeply felt and conflicting convictions among members of the polity, only to put them in perspective.
A.K.
