Chapter 9: the political process Part 1: Section 1 and 2

Public Opinion Public Opinion: the aggregation of views shared by a segment of society on issues of interest or concern. Public opinion is limited to the community in question and who holds the opinion. Meaning? Example: Global Warming- is it natural or manmade? Public opinion is complex and not limited to any one point-of-view. Example: Global Warming- is it both natural and manmade? Is it irreversible? Should it be a concern? Public opinion often shapes public policy. Should it public opinion shape public policy? Should our democracy solely be a reflection of public opinion? Why or why not? Explain.

Two theories on the role of public opinion: Public as single, centralized body to be shaped. The public is to be led, formed, or molded by political and social leaders. Public as many, separate publics to shape. The public or people’s attitudes should shape society and policy makers.

Expression of public opinion Assembly and/or Protest Petitions to social and political leaders Speech in social and established media Formation of groups and organizations (MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Driving) Voting

Forming Public Opinion Individual political opinion is formed by a process called political socialization (the process by which people acquire political beliefs). Family, School, Communities, Jobs, Demographics (age, race, ethnicity, gender, and religion) Mass media shape the individual, but shape them in the context of a community by creating a mass, unique message. Social media can create both individual and mass messaging.

Media and public opinion Mass Media: means of communication meant to reach a large population through various mediums (magazines, television, newspapers, blogs, radio, internet, and many others). Social Media: a means of communication by which online communities share and publish as well as consume information. Mass media systems influence public policy by: Monitoring government activity Creating an agenda by creating discourse (if the news says it is important, we think that it is important) Shaping opinions through bias and propaganda or through the use of facts

A brief understanding of mass media American Factions: 1789- Gazette of the United States published a Federalist (political party) paper and the National Gazette published Democratic-Republican arguments. Partisan politics has been in our media since the beginning of our nation. Penny Press: cheap papers that catered to working class citizens. Significance? Yellow Journalism: journalism which used sensationalism, scandals, and appeals to patriotism to attract and influence readership. Origin: 1890’s- Joseph Pulitzer v. William Randolph Hearst How do they affect the public?

Understanding of mass media (cont.) Effects of Social Media on Mass Media: social media is changing the agenda of the mass media system and creating resources (video, photos, firsthand accounts) that mass media can use to supplement investigative journalism. Criticism of mass media systems: Bias in reporting: bias towards a specific point-of-view Bias in story selection: ignore one issue and focus on another Factual accuracy Media Consolidation: only 8 major companies control the majority of information received through mass media mediums Future of media: accessibility does not imply accuracy “At its best, the internet can educate more people faster than any media tool…At its worst, it can make people dumber faster than any media tool.” – Thomas Friedman

Measuring Public Opinion Poll: a survey of people scientifically selected to provide opinions about something. The accuracy of any poll should be questioned, and one needs to consider: The sample universe: the group taking part in the poll or “the total population or market of interest.” Example: campaigns- what is the sample universe that is best to contact between 9 and 3 on weekdays at home? Important to consider- the size and randomness of the sample The poll or question itself Can it be a yes or no question or multiple choice (strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree)? Margin of error- How mathematically accurate is the poll based off of the sample universe and those actually polled.

Measuring public opinion (cont.) The polls can be created in such a way to create a specific result and needs to be questioned. Three types of lies: “Lies, damned lies, and statistics” – Popularized by Mark Twain A reminder to be skeptical

Interest Groups Special Interest Group: an association of people who hold similar views or goals. Organize people who share views Provide a means to participate or influence the political process Supply information to public and policy makers Types of interest groups: Agricultural (farming), business (financial), labor (AFT- American Federation of Teachers), cause-based (MADD- Mothers Against Drunk Driving), Societal groups or welfare or individual groups (AARP- American Association of Retired Persons), Professional Groups (AMA- American Medical Association).

Functions of interest groups Influence elections and endorsing (publicly declaring support for candidates): 1) encourage members to vote for a candidate, 2) influence party platforms (planks), 3) campaigning, and 4) contributing money. PACS- Political Action Committees- an organization created to raise money legally to the campaigns of political candidates. PACS are regulated by federal government, but give interest groups and private individuals a lot of power in financing candidates and policies of their choice without facing regulations placed on individual citizens. Super PACS are also regulated, but cannot give money to a candidate. But they can spend without limit on marketing or advertising for a candidate or policy as long as they do not work directly with a candidate’s campaign. Members of Super PACS do not need to disclose how much money they personally donated. Dangerous? Lobbying- contacting a public official to influence political choices. Filing lawsuits- NAACP and the Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS (1954) case. How does this influence politics and society? Explain. Grassroots organization- a system of organizing people based on the most basic, local level; of or originating with the people.