whats the value historical approach?

Question

Im in an American National Government course and we have a quiz question that says "describe the assumptions of the value historical approach". Its a question about ideology and governemnt ideology.

Answer 1

The Value-Historical Approach carries three assumptions in the study of government:

1. The best approach to understanding a government is by assessing the values held by its constituents.
2. Values can be branched into two sets: (1) Ethos, which are constituents' expectations for the conduct and scope of government; and (2) Ideology, or how a government's members may rationalize political decisions and conduct.
3. Any Ideology can either support, not address, or operate against an Ethos.

One key example, especially of the variability in the 3rd assumption, emerges in same-sex relationships. The distribution of values is evinced in Gallup polls since the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (under Democratic President Clinton under a Republican-controlled Congress, restricting governmental recognition of same-sex relationships). Public responses to the same survey question—whether "marriages between same-sex couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid"—substantially reversed from 1996 (27% "should be valid," 68% "should not be valid") to December 2011 (when values first tied at 48%) to July 2015 (58% to 40%, after the Obergefell v. Hodges decision (2015) upheld the constitutionality of same-sex marriage). One factor was a generational shift in the population from Baby Boomers (born in WWII, often carried Evangelical values opposed to same-sex relations and abortion) to Millennials and younger generations whose socialization in schools and public spaces came in more contact with same-sex individuals or friends. This also shaped the electorate's voting decisions for public officials and their inclusivity towards same-sex individuals in public policy. Combined with LGBTQ+-aligned litigation from Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union in lawsuits, more pressure was placed upon politicians (including President Barack Obama) to support policies and nominate Supreme Court candidates who would uphold same sex marriage, As this pressure and generational shift continued, the Dobbs decision (2022, overturned Roe v. Wade (1973) and its constitutional protection of abortion) included a concurring opinion from Justice Thomas that questioned Obergefell and urged its protections to be challenged. In renewed public pressure from LGBTQ+-aligned groups, the Democratic-held Senate and Congress passed (in late 2022, before a reverse of control over Congress) the Respect of Marriage Act, overturning the Defense of Marriage Act and granting federal protection to any same-sex marriages. This did not prevent the Supreme Court (with three conservative justices appointed and confirmed during Donald Trump's Presidency) from accepting an appealed lawsuit and ruling against LGBTQ+ communities' protections from discrimination (303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, 2023). In short, demographic patterns can shape public values (and Ethos) which can then bring pressure upon public officials to shift their Ideology towards protecting their rights. This pressure is more feasible upon elected branches of government (like the federal Executive and Legislative Branches), but not as feasible upon appointed branches (like the federal judiciary and Supreme Court).