Transcript INFLUENCING GOVERNMENT

PUBLIC OPINION
What is it?
• ideas and attitudes most hold
about a particular issue/person
• Elected officials listen to public
opinion!
• Why?
• need popular support for their
decisions (in most cases)
• help to make timely & effective
decisions
What are potential results of an
elected official making decisions in
government that are not supported
by the majority?
WHAT SHAPES PUBLIC OPINION?
• An Individual’s Personal Background
• age, gender, income, race, religion, occupation, residence, etc.
• Mass Media
• What does this include?
• How might access to media influence public opinion?
• Public Officials
• respect for their opinions on issues
• officials try to be persuasive!
• Interest Groups (“Pressure Groups”)
• a group of people who share a point of view about an issue & unite
to promote it
• persuasion is goal!
• Examples of interest groups?
HOW IS PUBLIC OPINION MEASURED?
1. ANALYZING ELECTION RESULTS:
 What could possibly be revealed about public opinion by interpreting
election results?
 For what reasons may this be an unreliable source of public opinion?
2. TAKING A PUBLIC OPINION POLL:
 individual responses to surveys
 random samples (approx. 1500 diverse people surveyed)
 pollsters: Gallup; Pew
 followed by elected officials/candidates  informs their decisionmaking
 possible negative effects of polling:
 the wording of survey questions may affect survey results
 politicians may try to please the public (vs. making wise decisions)
PUBLIC OPINION POLL:
APPROVAL RATING OF PRESIDENT G.W. BUSH,
2001-2008
THE MEDIA
What does it include?
• A print medium
• newspapers, magazines,
books
• An electronic medium
• TV, radio, Internet
• The Media influences
public agenda:
• problems & issues
considered most
important by the gov’t!
What are some recent examples of
ways by which the media has
shaped our current government’s
public agenda?
THE MEDIA
What roles does the Media play in influencing government?
1. Shapes public agenda
2. Shapes public opinion
3. Coverage of candidates running for office
 potential benefits/drawbacks for candidates?
4. Elected officials are linked to the public
 means of informing the public/constituents
 media may leak info. from gov’t  get public reaction
5. Watchdog role
 monitors gov’t actions  helps to hold gov’t accountable
PROPAGANDA
 What is propaganda?
ideas that may involve misleading
messages designed to manipulate
people
 Who uses propaganda in the media?
political parties & candidates
interest groups
businesses/corporations
 7 major propaganda strategies used in the
media:
7 PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES
1. The Bandwagon:
 “Everyone else is doing it, so join in!”
2. Name-calling:
 direct attack on another group/person  makes you question
your trust in opponent
3. “Endorsement”
 celebrity or reputable group gives support
4. “Stacked Cards”
 reveals only one side of an issue  emphasizes the positive
7 PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES
5. “Glittering Generality”
 appeals to one’s emotions by focusing on a very general
idea

“If you elect me, I will bring you peace and prosperity.”
6. “Just Plain Folks”
 attempts to make connection to the common citizen
7. “Transfer”
 associating symbol(s) with a product/candidate
Which propaganda techniques are
used in the following corporate
advertisements?
MEDIA FREEDOMS & LIMITATIONS
 Media Freedoms:
 1st Amendment Rights
 the Media is free from prior restraint: no gov’t censorship of
material before it is published
 Media Limitations:
no libel: false information that is published that harms
someone’s reputation
limitations to protecting media sources
regulation by FCC (Federal Communications Commission)
regulates broadcast media  heavy fines for breaking its rules
INTEREST GROUPS
 What are they, again?:
 organizations of people who unite
to promote their ideas
 Which Amendment protects
interest groups?
TYPES OF INTEREST GROUPS
 Economic
 ex. US Chamber of Commerce
 Worker
 ex. AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor – Congress
of Industrial Organizations)
 Professional
 ex. AMA (American Medical Association)
 Social Groups
 ex. NOW (Nat’l Org. for Women); NAACP (Nat’l Assoc. for
the Advancement of Colored People)
 Special Causes
 ex. NRA (National Rifle Association)
INTEREST GROUPS’ INFLUENCE ON OUR GOVERNMENT
 An interest group’s main goal = influence
public policy
 To do this…interest groups focus on
influencing elections, the courts, &
lawmakers.
 How do they do this?
 back candidates for office
 raise & donate money to campaigns
 PACs (Political Action Committees)
 may use court cases to argue a law/gov’t policy is
unconstitutional
 lobby lawmakers
 lobbyist = representative of an interest group or
corporation
 draft bills
 persuade & make agreements with politicians
 provide information to representatives
WHAT IS THE OPINION EXPRESSED
IN EACH POLITICAL CARTOON?