1. Public Relations Strategies and Tactics Tenth Edition
Dennis L. Wilcox
Glen T. Cameron
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2. Politics and Government
Chapter 19
Politics and Government
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3. Chapter 19 Objectives
Describe the basic purposes and functions of public relations in government
Explain what public relations professionals do at the federal, state, and local levels
Define public affairs, government relations, and lobbying
Describe the roles public relations plays in election campaigns
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4. Government Organizations
Government entities employ public relations specialists to
Promote their services
Orchestrate fund-raising
Spread news of their successes/crises
Assist with smooth daily operations/crisis management
Implement campaigns that address social issues
Develop long-range plans and vision
Basic purpose of government public relations
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5. The Federal Government
The White House
Apex of government public relations efforts
Congress
Federal Agencies
Role of public affairs officers (PAOs)
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6. State Governments
Each of the 50 states disseminates information about its programs to various constituents
States also compete for develop campaigns to:
Encourage tourism
Attract new residents
Advance the interest of the state
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7. Local Governments
Information flow occurs in many ways but the objectives are always to inform citizens about and to help them take advantage of government services
Cities employ information specialists to:
Attract new business
Increase tourism
Compete for federal funds for ambitious projects
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8. Government Relations by Corporations
Closely related to lobbying, this is a specialized component of corporate communication
Particularly important for highly regulated industries
Actions of governmental bodies on all levels have a major impact on how businesses operate
Public relations specialists spend a lot of time:
Collect information
Disseminating information about the company’s position to a variety of key publics
Give or write speeches
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9. Lobbying
The term lobbyist may have been coined by President Ulysses S. Grant for those who sough favors from him while he tried to relax in the lobby of the Hotel Willard in Washington D.C.
Today, lobbying is closely aligned with governmental relations or public affairs, and the distinction between the two often blurs
A lobbyist directs his or her energies to the defeat, passage, or amendment of proposed legislation and regulatory agency policies
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10. Lobbying Cont…
Lobbyists can be found at the local, state, and federal levels of government
The public perceives that only big business lobby but a variety of special interests do it as well
Pitfalls of lobbying
Grassroots lobbying
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11. Election Campaigns
The cost of running for office in the United States is the highest in the world
During election years, an army of specialists, including public relations experts, are retained by major candidates to organize and raise money for election campaigns
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12. Election Campaigns cont…
Some consultants specialize in direct mail and telemarketing
Other firms handle mass mailings on behalf of the candidate
The Internet plays an important role in
Raising money
Generating high visibility for candidates
Increasing the number of registered voters
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