However, these three types of political cultures are extreme types. No society is characterised by a single variety of political culture. In fact, as Almond himself states that all political systems are of culturally mixed character.
The decision, about the type of political culture is made on the basis of predominant patterns of orientation to political action within that society. No political culture exists in a pure form. In every society, a mixture of these varieties is found.
Almond refers to four mixed types of political cultures. These are:
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1. The Parochial-Subject Culture,
2. The Subject-Participant Culture,
3. The Parochial-Participant Culture, and
4. The Civic Culture (It combines all characteristics of all three ‘pure’ types- Parochial-Subject-Participant Political Cultures.)
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Political Cultures have been classified by several other political scientists-into several other types:
(1) Civic Culture:
It characterises developed societies like the American society, in which people, though governed through their elected representatives, keep on taking active part in various processes of politics.
(2) Secular Political Culture:
It characterises a society in which people are secular in their outlook and all of them participate in decision-making process, which is worked as a rational process. The traditional and oriental attitudes are voluntarily changed through dynamic decisions.
(3) Ideological Political Culture:
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In this type of political culture, people are guided and controlled in favour of political orientations which are determined, encouraged and based on a particular ideology. Through controlled political socialisation, propaganda and educational system, the desired orientations are sought to be developed among the people of the political system.
(4) Homogeneous Political Culture:
Such a political culture exists where people have been living under a political system which has been continuously characterised by the same set of values, beliefs, orientations and attitudes towards political action. There are different political parties and groups but they share common long-cherished values, ideas and ideologies.
(5) Fragmented Political Culture:
It characterises a political system in which different people and their groups share different types of values or ideologies. In this type, different sections of society have different patterns of cultural development.
The political systems operating in different societies of the globe can be classified in terms of their political cultures.