Almond and Verba (1963) define three ideal types of political culture - parochial, subject and participant -

The political cultures of African tribes would fall into this category. The heads of these societies have a political, economical and religious role all in one, and for members of these societies the political orientation to these roles are not separated from their religious or social orientation. An individual in this society expects nothing from the political system. In this type of culture, the specialised agencies of central government will hardly touch the consciousness of the villagers or tribesmen.

In pure subject political culture, an individual does have knowledge of his/her political system and have feelings and opinions on it. An individual has no knowledge of the structure and roles, various political elites, and the policy proposals that are involves in the upward flow of policy making. He has no feelings and opinions of these structures, leaders and policy proposals. An individual does have knowledge of the downward flow of policy enforcement, the structures, individuals, and decisions involved in these processes. He has feelings and opinions on them. He does not perceive himself as a member of his political system, and does not have knowledge of his rights, powers and obligations.

There is high frequency of orientations towards a differentiated political system and the output aspects of the system, but there are no orientations for input objects towards the self as an active participant. The individual is aware of government authority and is effectively oriented to it, perhaps liking it or maybe disliking it. But the relationship is towards the system on the general level towards the output side of the political system. It is a passive relationship, although there is a passive form of competence that is appropriate in a subject culture.

In a participant political culture, an individual has knowledge of his nation and its political system, and he has feelings and opinions of them. He has knowledge and feelings on the structure and roles of the political elites, and the policy proposals that are involved in the upward flow of policy making. He has knowledge and feelings on the downward flow of policy enforcement, the structures, individuals, and the decisions involved in these processes. He perceives himself as a member of his political system. He has knowledge of his rights, powers, obligations, and of strategies of access to influence.

Members of this society tend to be explicitly oriented to the political system as a whole, and to political and administrative structures and processes. Individuals may  like or dislike the various classes of political objects. They tend to be orientated towards an activist role of the self in the policy, through their feelings and evaluations of such a role may vary from acceptance to rejection.