1. Topic #5:Monitoring Government
SS.7.C.2.10: Examine the impact of media, individuals, and interest groups on monitoring and influencing government.
SS.7.C.2.11: Analyze the media and political communication (bias, symbolism, propaganda).

2. The Media, Individuals, and Interest Groups
SS.7.C.2.10: Examine the impact of media, individuals, and interest groups on monitoring and influencing government.

3. Vocabulary
Interest Group (Special Interest Groups): A group of individuals with common interests who seek to influence public policy.
Influence: Having an effect or impact on the actions, behaviors, opinions of another or others.
Monitor: to watch, keep track of, or check usually for a special purpose.

4. Political Action Committee (PAC): An independent political organization that promotes the cause of a particular interest group, usually through raising money and campaigning to elect candidates who support the groups ideas.
Petitioning the government: The right to ask the government to solve a problem or to express an opinion about how the government is being run

5. Media: Refers to “mass media,” methods of communicating to large numbers of people. For Example: television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet.
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Lobbying: Participating in activities in order to influence government officials.
Lobbyist: A person who participates in activities in order to influence government officials.
Watchdog: A person or group who acts as a protector or guardian.

6. Which rights in the First Amendment impact our ability to influence the government?

7. How can individuals influence the government?
Voting
Attending civic meetings
Creating and submitting petitions
Running for public office
Sending letter/ s
Making campaign contributions

8. What is an interest group?
A group of individuals with common interests who seek to influence public opinion.
Interest groups attempt to influence public policies directly, rather than by electing their members as government officials.
Form because of a common goal or issue.

9. Political Action Committees (PAC)
A type of interest group that raises money and campaigns for candidates who support their issues.

10. Activities of Interest Groups
Monitoring: Interest groups keep track of everything legislatures and government agencies are doing that might affect their area of focus.
Lobbying: A way to influence the lawmaking process by convincing law makers to vote as you want them to.

11. How do interest groups influence the government?
Supporting candidates
Lobbying: They try to get to lawmakers to introduce or support legislation that the PAC cares about
Creating different PACS
Educating members on issues: on issues it wants members to support

12. How can individuals monitor the government?
Stay informed!
Watch government proceedings
Keep up-to-date on legislation of interest

13. How does media monitor the government?
The media often serves as a government “watchdog”.
Watchdogs are organizations that seek to watch over government institutions and hold those institutions and officials accountable.

14. How does the media influence the government?
The Media determines which issues get public attention.
Often times, different media outlets show a bias, or a display of favor for or against someone or something.
Media bias: NOT ALWAYS ACCURATE

16. Media and Political communication
SS.7.C.2.11: Analyze the media and political communication (bias, symbolism, propaganda).

17. Bias
Display of favor for or against someone or something; often seen as prejudicial.

18. Symbolism
The use of symbols to represent ideas.

19. Propaganda
Ideas or statements that are often false or exaggerated and that are spread in order to help a cause, a political leader, and/or a government.

20. Propaganda
Propaganda is aimed at influencing and shaping “public opinion” – the views of ordinary citizens.
To measure public opinion, experts take opinion polls. An opinion poll can often predict results and measure popular attitudes.

21. BIAS

22. SYMBOLISM

23. PROPAGANDA

24. SYMBOLISM

25. You will be viewing 4 political ads.
List examples of bias, symbolism, and propaganda from the ads in column 3 on Part I of your handout
Complete Part II of your handout after the second viewing of the ad.