Public Opinion & Politics Role of Communication

Power of Information Assumption: information is power Cooley: when information about the important events and issues of the day is made available to large numbers of people, then public opinion and a public will cannot help but follow; and it is through such public will that people govern themselves Question: is the above observation valid?

A System of Discussion What the candidates did --position issues vs. style issues What the local newspapers did What the electorate did Discussion…………

Measuring Attention Subjective claims vs. objective observation Beyond minimum exposure levels there is a consistent and concentrated audience rather than a random and dispersed one The more attention to the mass media in general, the more exposure to political materials in particular

Effects of Political Exposure Effect upon the intensity of political feelings Effect upon information about the election More exposure—more interest—stronger feeling Basic psychological and social preconditions for communications exposure