Abstract
Over the past decade U.S.-Russian relations have experienced dramatic shifts. Cooperation has not been easy even though after 9/11 it seemed that both countries were on track to become real partners. Over the years, numerous foreign policy events have resulted in conflict and condemning rhetoric from both sides. This is surprising considering that both countries share numerous interests such as antiterrorism, nonproliferation and arms control. What accounts for this tension in U.S-Russian ties? The answer is political culture. Aside from holding common interests, United States and Russia have very different views of the world and the state. U.S and Russia are two different nations with unique and distinct political cultures. Thus, each government is limited in working inside that framework which leads to differences in understanding and ultimately disagreement.