Ch. 11.1

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Ch. 11.1

• Public Opinion

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Forming Public Opinion

• Public opinion includes the ideas and attitudes
  that most people hold about elected officials,
  candidates, government, and political issues
• It helps shape the decisions of every president
  as well as the timing of the decisions

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Forming Public Opinion

• Public opinion is not uniform.
• Many shades of opinions exist on most issues.
• Enough people most hold a particular opinion to
  make government officials listen to them

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Forming Public Opinion

• Peoples backgrounds and life experiences
  influence their opinions.
• Television, radio, newspapers, magazines,
  recordings, movies, and books are called the mass
  media because they communicate broadly to masses
  of people.
• Issues and events the mass media cover and the
  way they cover them affect peoples attitudes.

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Forming Public Opinion

• Political leaders and public officials influence
  public opinion.
• They state their views in the mass media, hoping
  to persuade people to support their positions.

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Forming Public Opinion

• People who share a point of view about an issue
  may form an interest group.
• The group will then work to persuade people and
  officials toward their point of view.

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Components of Public Opinion

• Experts often describe public opinion in terms
  of direction, intensity, and stability
• Direction refers to whether opinions on an issue
  are positive or negative for or against
• Intensity refers to the strength of opinion on an
  issue
• Stability means how firmly people hold their
  views public opinion on political candidates is
  relatively unstable.

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Measuring Public Opinion

• Election results give a broad measure of public
  opinion.
• A more accurate measure comes from asking people
  to answer questions in a survey, or public
  opinion poll.
• Elected officials use polls to monitor public
  opinion.
• Most presidents have a pollstera specialist
  whose job is to conduct polls regularly.

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Measuring Public Opinion

• Polling organizations question people selected at
  random from all over the United States.
• To present a fairly accurate picture of public
  opinion, a sample must reflect the
  characteristics of the entire population.
• Usually 1500 people men and women, all races,
  incomes, ages, and viewpoints

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Measuring Public Opinion

• The questions asked in the survey must be fair
  and unbiased or you can manipulate the process.
• Do you favor cutting taxes?
• Do you favor cutting taxes if it means letting
  poor children go hungry?
• 2 similar questions can give you 2 different
  answers Do not lead the person being surveyed

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Measuring Public Opinion

• Some people believe polls support democracy by
  allowing officials to keep in touch with
  citizens opinions on issues.
• Critics claim polling makes officials more
  concerned with following the public than in
  leading

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Measuring Public Opinion

• Many people worry that polls distort elections.
• During campaigns, the media constantly report who
  is ahead at the moment, taking the focus off of
  the issues.
• Polls treat elections like a horse race.
  Ignoring the candidates views and just focusing
  on who is in the lead.

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Measuring Public Opinion

• Polls may discourage voters from showing up at
  the polling place if they think the outcome has
  already been determined (exit polls the western
  time zone voters)

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Ch. 11.2 The Mass Media

• The mass media influences politics and
  government.
• They also form a link between the people and
  elected officials
• Newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and books are
  known as the print media
• Radio, television, and the internet are known as
  the electronic media

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Types of Media

• Keep in mind that the media are businesses that
  operate for the greatest profit.
• They run the news they think will attract the
  largest audience

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Types of Media

• Television is the most important medium for
  politics because it reaches the most people. 98
  of America has a TV set
• Print media gives the more in depth coverage
  however.
• Internet is the fastest way to get information,
  you can get it whenever you wish.
• Problem is that there is so much information to
  sort through

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Medias Impact on Politics and Government

• From campaigns to elections, the mass media has
  had a major impact on public opinion and how our
  leaders perform
• The problems that receive the most time, money,
  and effort from government leaders make up the
  public agenda.
• Media has great influence on which problems
  government considers important. Publicize some
  issues while others go unnoticed

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Medias Impact on Politics and Government

• The modern media enables people with little to no
  political experience to run for and win office.
  Ex. Arnold and Jesse Ventura
• Al Franken D-MN, U.S. Senate 2008

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Medias Impact on Politics and Government

• Elected officials and the press need one another,
  yet they often clash.
• Politicians live and die by the press.
• Politician want the media to show the world they
  are hard working and effective leaders but do not
  want them to report any indiscretions.

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Medias Impact on Politics and Government

• Elected officials with the help of press
  secretaries, hold news conferences, give
  interviews, and stage huge media events.
• Officials may also secretly pass on, or leak,
  information to friendly reporters.
• Leaks allow officials to test public reaction
  before deciding whether to publicly move ahead
  with a proposal or nomination. If unpopular, you
  quietly drop it.

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Medias Impact on Politics and Government

• Leaks are also used to make competing officials
  look bad, change public opinion on an issue, or
  to gain favor with a reporter.
• Leaks benefit reporters by allowing them to
  report inside information careers can be built
  this way

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Medias Impact on Politics and Government

• The mass media plays an important watchdog role
  as well.
• By exposing government misconduct, they serve
  both their interests and the public interest.
• Recently, however, journalists have begun looking
  for scandal in officials private as well as
  public lives.
• Critics argue that these tactics drive many good,
  qualified men/women out of politics.

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Medias Impact on Politics and Government

• There is tension between the American citizens
  need for information and the need for government
  to keep secrets to protect national security.
• The government can control information the media
  report by classifying it as secret and limiting
  coverage of military actions
• The Department of Defense will limit the medias
  access to battlefields and maneuvers. Most of
  the time media has to rely on official briefings
  to gain any knowledge about progress.

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Protecting the Media

• Democracy requires the free flow of information
  and ideas
• The First Amendment protects freedom of the
  press, which today includes all forms of media
• The Supreme Court has ruled that freedom of the
  press includes freedom from prior restraint, or
  government censorship of material before it is
  published.
• Journalists can report what they want, even if it
  is unpopular or embarrassing to officials

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Protecting the Media

• Freedom of the press does not allow reporters to
  publish false information that will harm
  someones reputation (libel)
• The Supreme Court ruled that to win a libel suit,
  public officials must prove malicethat the
  publisher knew the material was false or showed
  reckless disregard for the truth

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Protecting the Media

• The government has the power to decide who gets
  access to the limited number of airwaves
  available for radio and TV broadcasts
• The FCC cannot censor broadcasts, but can
  penalize stations that violate it established
  rules.

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Ch. 11.3 Interest Groups

• Interest groups form to promote a shared
  viewpoint.
• By pooling resources, members can increase their
  chances of influencing decision makers.
• The 1st Amendment protects our right to belong to
  interest groups by guaranteeing the right to
  assemble peacefully and to petition the government

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Types of Interest Groups

• Groups based on economic interests are some of
  the most powerful.
• They want to influence decisions that affect
  their industry such as taxes, safety
  regulations, rules for bidding on government
  contracts
• Ex. The U.S. Chamber of Commercepromotion of
  free enterprise and The Tobacco Institute

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Types of Interest Groups

• Labor Unions work for the economic interests of
  workers.
• Largest is the AFL-CIO
• Concerned with working conditions, benefits,
  pensions, and medical care for workers
• Ex. AMA, ABA, NFLPA

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Types of Interest Groups

• People have also organized to promote an ethnic
  group, age group, or gender group
• Ex. NAACP (African Americans)
• AARP (retired persons)
• NOW (women)
• Special causes have been addressed as well
  Sierra Club (concerned with protecting nature

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Types of Interest Groups

• Public Interest Groups support causes that affect
  the lives of Americans in general, rather than
  just the special interests of their own members
• Common Cause promotes laws to control pollution
  and protect consumer rights have over 250,000
  members promoting the needs of all citizens

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Influencing Government

• The primary goal for all interest groups is to
  influence public policy.
• Public policy is the course of action the
  government takes in response to an issue or
  problem.

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Influencing Government

• Election Activities Interest groups back
  candidates who agree with their beliefs.
• Many form PACs that use money from members to
  support candidates

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Influencing Government

• Going to Court Interest groups also try to
  influence public policy by bringing court cases.
  
• Groups use the court system to argue that a law
  or government policy is unconstitutional

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Influencing Government

• Lobbying Lawmakers Lobbyists are
  representatives of interest groups who contact
  government officials directly to influence their
  policy making.
• Lobbyists understand how the government
  functions know where to go and whom to see
• They know how to make friends and talk
  persuasively

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Influencing Government

• For lobbyists, information is the most important
  resource.
• Lawmakers need information about issues
  lobbyists provide it
• Lobbyists suggest solutions to problems, draft
  bills for lawmakers to consider, and testify in
  hearings on bills.

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Techniques of Interest Groups

• All interest groups want to influence public
  opinion both to increase their memberships and to
  convince people of the rightness of their cause.
• Advertisements on radio and TV, direct mailings,
  and organization of protests or public events to
  gain media coverage.

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Techniques of Interest Groups

• To promote their views, interest groups also use
  propaganda techniques
• Endorsements people admire the person endorsing
  a candidate, they will support the candidate too.
• Card Stacking when someone presents only one
  side of the issue, often by distorting the facts

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Techniques of Interest Groups

1. Bandwagon convincing people that everyone else
   agrees with a certain viewpoint or that everyone
   is going to vote for a certain candidate be on
   the winning team
2. Glittering Generalities using statements that
   sound good but are essentially meaningless

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Techniques of Interest Groups

1. Symbolism the use and misuse of symbols when
   appealing to the public
2. Just plain folk the idea of making people
   think that a candidate is just like them with the
   same desires and concerns.
3. Name calling an attempt to turn people against
   an opponent by using an unpleasant label or
   description.

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Regulation of Interest Groups

• The Constitution does guarantee us the right to
  participate in interest groups, but state/federal
  government can pass laws regulating their
  activities.
• Laws regulate the activities of interest groups
  to prevent abuses, such as winning lawmakers
  votes by offering gifts and meals.

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Regulation of Interest Groups

• The Federal Election Campaign Finance Act limits
  the amount PACs can contribute to candidates for
  national office.
• The Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act requires
  lobbyists to register to the Clerk of the House
  and the Secretary of the Senate and disclose who
  hired them, how much they are paid, and how they
  spend money related to their work.

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Regulation of Interest Groups

• These laws only apply to full time lobbyists
• Laws require a waiting period before government
  officials can become lobbyists
• Purpose is to prevent ex-public officials from
  taking unfair advantage of their insider D.C.
  knowledge and friendships .