1987 Constructing Institutions Table 2.Poverty in the United States Group Fault of Poor Fault of System Business 57% 9% Labor 5 6 Farm 19 Intellectuals 23 Media Republicans 55 13 Democrats 5 8 Blacks 86 Feminists 9 76 Youth 16 6 Source:Verba and Orren 1985,p.74. erences to be formed from the slimmest end (telos)is not pursued but lies in the clue.By knowing who or what is in- activity itself'"(1985,17-18).Michael volved,the arena or institution of Oakeshott's (1962)insistence on good involvement,the subject or object of in- form and better manners,his"idioms of volvement,people know whether they are conduct,"is based on the understanding supposed to have preferences and what that the purposes institutions create are these preferences ought to be. expressed in their practices (Elkin 1985, What is it that enables everyone to 17-18).Elkin goes on to say that "the come up with reliable solutions to the institutions are a way in which citizens problem of preference formation when- experience each other and for different ever it arises?The one source all human institutions the form of experience is dif-. beings know something about is their ferent....Political institutions constitute social relations. the citizenry in the sense of...giving it an organized existence"(pp.16-17). Cultures Constitute Wolin (1986)defines democracy as I Our Political Selves would a political culture:"Democracy involves more than participation in a Even when I carry out scientific work-an political process.It is a way of constitut- activity which I seldom conduct in associa- ing power"(p.2).Similarly,Connell and tion with other men-I perform a social, Goot explain that "politics must be in- because human act.It is not only the voked not merely as the outcome of polit- material of my activity-like language itself ical socialization but a cause thereof as which the thinker uses-which is given to well"(Cook 1985). me as a social product.My own existence is a social activity. On the level of ideas,a research pro- -Karl Marx gram on political culture would seek to increase our understanding of how op- The view of human life as suffused in posed visions of the good life are selected, social relations makes the study of institu- sustained,altered,and rejected.As social tions central to political science.To use scientists following Robert Merton and Elkin's apt expression,"Values are thus knowing,therefore,that unanticipated 'in'politics,not above or outside it. consequences are a staple of social life,we Hannah Arendt makes the point when she want to understand what else we choose comments that in political activity 'the when we choose our political cultures. 17