Question Is it fair that the two major political parties can obtain greater coverage in the news than the minor parties in the United States? Should the media be required to provide equal coverage for all candidates and for all political parties? Why/why not?

Public Opinion Chapter 11

Forming Public Opinion Public Opinion - The ideas & attitudes people have about candidates, elected officials, gov’t and political issues Influenced by age, gender, income, hobbies, race, religion, occupation and mass media Politicians must be responsive to public opinion if they are going to get reelected – why? What is mass media? State views in mass media to persuade them to support their positions

Understanding public opinion helps presidents make effective, timely decisions. Successful presidents have a good sense of when the public is ready for a new idea and when it is not. Franklin D. Roosevelt expressed this idea when he said, “I cannot go any faster than the people will let me.” What exactly did President Roosevelt mean?

Forming Public Opinion Interest group – people who share a point of view about an issue The group will work to persuade people and officials toward their point of view

Measuring Public Opinion Public Opinion Polls – survey – most accurate way to determine public opinion Elected officials use these polls to monitor public opinion Pollsters – specialist trained to take polls & measure public opinion Push Polls – used to push public opinion one way or another Have loaded questions – biased to get a certain response Examples of push poll questions - Do you favor lowering taxes? Do you favor lowering taxes if it means more people go hungry? Are you pro life? Are you against women having the right to choose their own medical procedures?

Presidential Approval Ratings

Media Print – newspapers, mailings, magazines Electronic – TV, radio, internet Main purpose – to keep us informed But remember – these are businesses that want to make money. They run news they think will attract the most viewers and therefore money Public agenda - problems that receive the most time, money and effort from gov’t leaders Why is literacy is important?

Biased Media – one-sided point of view Fox – Republican biased news MSNBC – Democratic biased news How can you protect yourself from bias in the news?

Protecting the Media 1st amendment protects freedom of the press – for all forms of media. Freedom from prior restraint (gov’t censorship of material before it is published NY Times v US) Journalists can report what they want even if it is embarrassing or unpopular to elected officials. Libel and slander are not covered! Officials must prove malice – that the publisher knew the material was false/showed disregard for the truth

Interest Groups People attempting to influence government with their shared views – protected by the 1st Amendment (right to assemble and petition)

Types of Interest Groups Economic – most common and powerful Business organizations – interested in trade Industrial & Trade – represent certain types of business Labor Unions – rights of workers Professional Associations – represent different professions Ex. US Chamber of Congress, Tobacco Institute, AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations – alliance of labor unions) Group Ethnicity (NAACP) Age (AARP) Gender (NOW) Public – focus on specific causes (PETA)

Ways Special Interest Groups Influence Politics/Gov’t Primary goal for all interest groups is to influence public policy – Course of action the gov’t takes in response to an issue or problem Election Activities – backing a candidate Lobbying – lobbyists (reps of interest groups) persuade officials to influence their policy making Provide expert testimony or help write laws in committees, o to court to fight a cause, fund elections

What assumption can we make about people in an interest group? What does the phrase, “strength in numbers,” tell us about interest groups? Why is it important to know who lobbyists work for?

Propaganda Attempt to influence people with biased information Always make sure to get both sides of a story from reliable sources Good way to determine what a candidate really supports is to see which PAC gives them money for campaigning

Types of Propaganda Endorsements – famous or admirable person supports a candidate Stacked Cards – presenting only 1 side of the issue – distorting the facts Name-Calling – turning people against an opponent by giving them an unpleasant label or description Glittering Generality – statement that sounds good but is meaningless Symbols – use and misuse of symbols Just Plain Folks – make people think that the candidate is just like them Bandwagon – convincing people that everyone else agrees with a certain candidate

How does name-calling differ from the other techniques?

Regulation of Interest Groups Lobbyists can’t pay a candidates living expenses or offer gifts and meals to win lawmakers votes Federal Election Campaign Finance Act – limits the amount PACs can contribute to candidates for national office Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act (1946) All lobbies must register with federal & state gov’ts & disclose who hired them, how much they are paid and all expenditures