1. Warm up Who is eligible to vote in the U.S.? Who can’t vote?
What is an absentee ballot?
What is an exit poll?
Who makes up the electorate?
What is apathy?
What percentage of people vote in a Presidential election? Non Presidential elections?
What is the difference between an initiative and a referendum?
What is the most common means of campaigning?
Why do incumbents win most of the time?
What is the difference between hard money and soft money?

2. Warm up 1. List three things that influence public opinion.
2. What do we call individuals who share a point of view and unite to promote their beliefs?
3. What is the most accurate way to measure public opinion?
4. What term refers to ideas people hold about a particular issue?
5. Why are interest groups often referred to as pressure groups?
6. Because most media outlets are private businesses, how do media managers decide what news to run?
7. What is prior restraint?
8. What was decided about libel in New York Times vs. Sullivan?
9. Why would a politician leak information?
10. What are lobbyists?
11. What group represents doctors?
12. What is the largest group representing workers?
13. What is the most important resource for lobbyists?
14. What is the primary goal of interest groups?
15. What protects a person’s right to join an interest group?

3. 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?

4. Public Opinion
Chapter 11

5. Vocab – chapter 11 Public opinion Mass media Interest group
Prior restraint
Libel
Malice
Public interest group
Nonpartisan
Political Action Committee (PAC)
Lobbyist
Public opinion
Mass media
Interest group
Public opinion poll
Pollster
Electronic media
Public agenda
Leak

6. 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

7. 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?

8. 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

9. 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?

10. Presidential Approval Ratings

11. 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?

12. 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?

13. 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

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

15. 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)

16. 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

17. 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?

18. 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

19. 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

20. How does name-calling differ from the other techniques?

21. 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

22. Creating a Public Interest Campaign 1 - Identifying the issue -10 mins
A democratic society requires the active participation of its citizens.
Creating a Public Interest Campaign 1 - Identifying the issue -10 mins
Identify a school appropriate issue of either school, local, or national interest.
Prepare a short statement expressing your viewpoint about the issue selected.
The statement should explain what your concern is, your viewpoint, and why you have this view

23. In a democratic society, various forces shape people’s ideas.
Creating a Public Interest Campaign 2 - Speaking Out – 30 mins
Use your statement from part 1 as a basis for an editorial – 3 paragraphs
Include at least 2 statistics and one concrete example that backs up your point of view.
Include the sources you used to get the information

24. Creating a Public Interest Campaign 3 - Working Together – 5 mins
Political and economic institutions evolve to help individuals and groups accomplish their goals
Creating a Public Interest Campaign 3 - Working Together – 5 mins
Create a name for your interest group and plan a peaceful demonstration to promote your agenda.
Consider who you want to communicate your concerns – the government or the public.
Consider what activity and location would best communicate your concerns.

25. Creating a Public Interest Campaign 4 - Demonstrating Concern – 25 mins
Using the plan you made in step 3 – incorporate posters, music, and/or a skit that dramatizes your causes.

26. What is publishing false information that harms a person’s reputation?
Propaganda
Censorship
Libel
Slander

27. A disadvantage of mass campaigning is:
Its too time consuming
It takes too many people
Its too expensive
It doesn’t reach enough people

28. All of the following are reasons a person should volunteer except:
The community benefits
A person can deduct it on their tax return
It pays well
It gives a person intrinsic value

29. All of the following are duties except:
Attending school
Paying taxes
Voting in elections
Serving on a jury

30. Which of the following can cause a voters registration to be canceled?
Convicted of a felony
Move out of the state
Nothing cancels voter registration
Both A and B are correct

31. A lobbyist can do all of the following except:
Pay a member of congress to vote for a bill
Prepare a report on a bill
Research information about a bill
Testify about a bill

32. To learn about public opinion, pollsters usually question:
Americans from one particular economic group
Fewer than 100 people
A random sample of people
People with very strong opinions

33. Most interest groups can be described as:
Biased
Illegal
Impartial
Ineffective

34. All males must register at the age of 18 with the:
Selective Services
Draft Board
US Army
Board of Elections

35. What provides a way for citizens to approve or reject state laws?
Referendum
Proposition
Mandate
Initiative

36. When are referendums most likely used?
Daily issues
Run off elections
Recall elections
Controversial issues

37. What is the main purpose of the media in politics?
Ratings
To inform us
To influence the government
Support the government

38. What is the most common use of campaigning during elections?
Canvassing
Mail
Magazine & Newspaper Ads TV

39. How does a person contribute to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund?
By paying the sales tax
Checking a box on their income tax forms
Ordinary people can not contribute
Only by contributing to PAC’s

40. What is a split ticket? Ballots with candidates listed on two sides
Using different ballots for national and state issues
Voting for candidates from different political parties
Voting for candidates from the same political party