Influencing Influencing GovernmentGovernment

Public OpinionPublic Opinion

The Mass MediaThe Mass Media

Interest GroupsInterest Groups

Public OpinionPublic OpinionForming Public OpinionForming Public Opinion Public Opinion is ideas and attitudes that most people Public Opinion is ideas and attitudes that most people

hold about elected officialshold about elected officials Public opinion shapes the decisions of elected officialsPublic opinion shapes the decisions of elected officials

Where Public Opinion Comes FromWhere Public Opinion Comes From Personal backgroundPersonal background-Age, gender, race, religion, -Age, gender, race, religion,

occupation, hometownoccupation, hometown Mass MediaMass Media- TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, - TV, radio, newspapers, magazines,

movies, booksmovies, books Public OfficialsPublic Officials- Candidates share opinions in - Candidates share opinions in

speeches and articlesspeeches and articles Interest GroupsInterest Groups- People unite who share a common - People unite who share a common

viewview– IG’s try to persuade people toward their viewIG’s try to persuade people toward their view

Public OpinionPublic Opinion

Components of Public OpinionComponents of Public Opinion Direction- Is public opinion on a Direction- Is public opinion on a

topic negative or positivetopic negative or positive Intensity- The strength of an Intensity- The strength of an

opinion on an issueopinion on an issue Stability- How firmly people hold Stability- How firmly people hold

their opinions are importanttheir opinions are important

Public OpinionPublic Opinion

Measuring Public OpinionMeasuring Public Opinion Look at Look at election resultselection results not reliable (ppl not reliable (ppl

vote for different reasons)vote for different reasons) Take a Take a public opinion pollpublic opinion poll- survey- survey Candidates and current presidents hire people Candidates and current presidents hire people

to ask citizens how they feel about to ask citizens how they feel about issuesissuespollsterspollsters– Use Use random samplerandom sample of citizens (1500/poll) of citizens (1500/poll)

Critics of polling say officials are more Critics of polling say officials are more concerned with being popular than leadingconcerned with being popular than leading

Our Founding Fathers tried to create a system Our Founding Fathers tried to create a system that would represent the people, but still keep that would represent the people, but still keep politicians isolated from the “whims” of the politicians isolated from the “whims” of the publicpublic

The Mass MediaThe Mass Media

Types of MediaTypes of Media Provide link between the Provide link between the

people and elected people and elected officialsofficials– Print MediaPrint Media: :

newspapers, magazines, newspapers, magazines, booksbooks

– Electronic MediaElectronic Media: : Radio, television, Radio, television, InternetInternet

TV stations are privately TV stations are privately owned businesses- they owned businesses- they choose what to coverchoose what to cover

Most in depth info comes Most in depth info comes from print mediafrom print media

The Mass MediaThe Mass MediaThe Media’s Impact on Politics and The Media’s Impact on Politics and

GovernmentGovernment The issues that receive the most time, money The issues that receive the most time, money

and effort from gov’t make up the and effort from gov’t make up the public public agendaagenda

Media influence what becomes public agendaMedia influence what becomes public agenda Since TV, ppl. just on TV, without political Since TV, ppl. just on TV, without political

experience can run for office (Steven Colbert)experience can run for office (Steven Colbert) Elected officials and the press need each Elected officials and the press need each

otherothereach relies on the other for exposureeach relies on the other for exposure Officials use the press to “Officials use the press to “leakleak” new ideas and ” new ideas and

infoinfotest the publictest the public Media acts as a “Media acts as a “watchdogwatchdog”- looking over gov’t ”- looking over gov’t

activities (Former Senator Edwards “lovechild”)activities (Former Senator Edwards “lovechild”) Press walks a fine line between reporting news Press walks a fine line between reporting news

and threatening and threatening national securitynational security

The Mass MediaThe Mass Media

Protecting the MediaProtecting the Media First Amendment protects First Amendment protects

freedom of pressfreedom of press Gov’t promises freedom Gov’t promises freedom

from from prior restraintprior restraint- - freedom from gov’t freedom from gov’t criticism before it is criticism before it is publishedpublished

No one is free to publish No one is free to publish false infofalse infolibellibel

Gov’t regulates media Gov’t regulates media through through FCCFCC- Federal - Federal Communications Communications CommitteeCommittee

Interest GroupsInterest Groups

Types of Interest GroupsTypes of Interest Groups Interest groups are groups of Interest groups are groups of

people who share a point of view people who share a point of view and unite to promote their and unite to promote their viewpointsviewpoints

IG’s are IG’s are biasedbiased support a support a particular viewpointparticular viewpoint

A person can belong to many A person can belong to many interest groups at one timeinterest groups at one time

Interest GroupsInterest Groups

3 types of Interest Groups3 types of Interest Groups

1. Economic Interest Groups1. Economic Interest Groups– Largest typesLargest types– Protect large companies, labor unionsProtect large companies, labor unions– AFL-CIOAFL-CIO– Professional groups (lawyers, doctors)Professional groups (lawyers, doctors)

2. Public Interest Group2. Public Interest Group– Some groups form to benefit all of societySome groups form to benefit all of society– Common Cause Group: pollution, homelessnessCommon Cause Group: pollution, homelessness

3. Other Interest Group3. Other Interest Group– Groups form to protect ethnic group, age group, or genderGroups form to protect ethnic group, age group, or gender– NAACP, AARPNAACP, AARP– Groups covering special causes- National Wildlife Groups covering special causes- National Wildlife

FederationFederation

Interest GroupsInterest Groups

Influencing GovernmentInfluencing Government Interest groups are important because they Interest groups are important because they

influence influence public policypublic policy course of action course of action gov’t takes in response to an issue or gov’t takes in response to an issue or problemproblem

IG’s influence public policy by taking certain IG’s influence public policy by taking certain issues to courtissues to court

IG’s hire IG’s hire lobbyistslobbyistsrepresentatives for an representatives for an IG by contacting public officials directlyIG by contacting public officials directly

Lobbyists are sometimes hired, sometimes Lobbyists are sometimes hired, sometimes volunteersvolunteers

Interest GroupsInterest Groups

Techniques of Interest GroupsTechniques of Interest Groups Print and Media adsPrint and Media adsMilk, pork, US made Milk, pork, US made

productsproducts Use Use propagandapropaganda to reach society to reach society

– EndorsementsEndorsements– Stacked CardsStacked Cards– Name CallingName Calling– Just Plain FolksJust Plain Folks

Regulation of Interest GroupsRegulation of Interest Groups 1946 law requires lobbyists to register1946 law requires lobbyists to register Time limit between gov’t official and lobbyistTime limit between gov’t official and lobbyist Critics say PACs and lobbyists influence too muchCritics say PACs and lobbyists influence too much