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Influences on the Government

Influences on the Government. Public Opinion, Mass Media, Interest Groups. Public Opinion. The ideas and attitudes most people hold about a certain issue or person. Presidents rely on Public Opinion to get their positions passed by Congress.

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Influences on the Government

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  1. Influences on the Government Public Opinion, Mass Media, Interest Groups

  2. Public Opinion • The ideas and attitudes most people hold about a certain issue or person. • Presidents rely on Public Opinion to get their positions passed by Congress. • Congress is dependent on public opinion because their goal is re-election • A popular president has more influence over Congress • Public Opinion is very diverse

  3. Sources of Public Opinion(Influences on your thoughts) • Personal Background- age, gender, socio-economic status, religion, occupation, ethnicity • Mass Media- by what medium (singular form of media) do you get your information- Mass appeals to large audience • Ex: internet

  4. Sources of Public Opinion … • Interest groups-a group of individuals who share a point of view and come together to promote their viewpoint • Work to influence public opinion and therefore policy

  5. Features of Public Opinion • Direction: Is the direction positive or negative • Abortion: Pro-Choice/ for abortion-Pro-Life/anti-Abortion • Intensity: How strong are the opinion • Is this an issue that can cause you to vote for a specific candidate? • Stability: how firmly to people hold their views • Ex: Civil Right: Most people have strong convictions regarding this issue

  6. Measuring Public Opinion • Politicians who make public policy and want to win reelection need to know how their peeps feel • Public Opinion Polls are the major way to gauge how the public feels. • They are simply surveys that ask questions of randomly sampled people

  7. Measuring Public Opinion/ Pollsters • The opinion polls are conducted by pollsters • Purpose is to measure feelings about an issue or candidate • Those polled are decided randomly

  8. Types of Polls • Random Samples: Questions asked must be worded carefully-otherwise it can sway the person being polled • Push Polls: Designed to sway the responses/disregarded by the polling community

  9. Polling Pros and Cons • Supporters: allows elected officials to keep in touch with their peeps • Opposition to Polls: Elected officials become more concerned about pleasing the public rather than doing what is right and necessary

  10. The Mass Media • The nation’s media influences politics and government and lets officials know what needs to be addressed or placed on the agenda

  11. Types of Media • Print media: newspapers, magazines, books • Electronic media; radio, television and internet • In the United States most media outlets are privately run • This means more listeners or readers = more $$$$

  12. The Impact of the Media • Public Agenda: Of the gazillion issues government must deal with –the ones that receive the most time, money and effort make up the public agenda • The media has great influence on setting the agenda • An issue that receives a lot of media publicity winds up getting a lot of government attention

  13. Impact of the MediaContinued… • Coverage of Candidates: The amount of coverage a candidate receives impacts the success of their campaign and can make or break the election • Media and Elected Officials: It is a love/hate relationship. It’s a symbiotic relationship-they need each other and are dependent on each other • Ex: Leaks, confessions, exposure

  14. Impact of the MediaContinued…. • Watchdog role: They watch over government and are eager to break a story about government abuse of power, funds or trust • "The liberty of speaking and writing guards our other liberties." --Thomas Jefferson: • Media and National Security: A fine balance between our right to know and the government’s obligation to protect us

  15. Media Safeguards • Our republic requires the free flow of ideas to thrive • Constitutional protections/first amendment • Prior Restraint: means the media is protect from government censorship of material before it is published or printed • Freedom with Limits: Cannot publish false that will harms someone’s reputation =Libel • Malice – or evil intent is not constitutionally protected

  16. Media Safeguards • The Media has a right to protect its sources • Regulation of the Media; The FCC monitors the media—and all media outlets must comply with certain regulations or suffer penalties- Example: Shock Jock Howard Stern, Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction

  17. Types of Interest Groups • Interest groups are organizations that unite people to promote common ideas and hopefully influence the public agenda.

  18. Types of Interest Groups • Economic: • There are industry interest groups –like the Chamber of Commerce or the Tobacco Institute • Labor Interest groups want to help the working class or a group of professionals AMA, AFL-CIO, American Federation of teachers

  19. Types of Interest Groups… • Other Interest Groups: Ethnic groups, age groups, gender groups, religious groups • Special Cause or Single Issue Interest groups: NRA, Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, • Public Interest Groups: support causes that affect the lives of Americans in general- they are non-partisan and impartial- goal is to educate the voters Ex: League of Women Voters

  20. Interest Groups and Government • Important part of the political process • First goal is to influence public policy • Support candidates during the elections • PAC’s (political action committees) formed by interest groups to collect money from their members and funnel the money to political candidates that support their cause • Influence policy by using the courts

  21. Interest and Government … • Lobbying Government: interest groups employ lobbyists to influence policy. • A lobbyist is a person who contacts government officials on behalf of the interest group • Good lobbyists supply law makers with information about an issue—biased of course • Lobbyists also make sure that once the law is passed it is enforced correctly

  22. Techniques of Interest Groups • Employ a variety of techniques- direct mailings, ads, • Propaganda: Different types • Bandwagon • Card Stacking • Name Calling • Glittering Generalities • Plain Folks Appeal

  23. Regulating Interest Groups • Limits to the amount of $ PAC’s can contribute • Waiting period before former government officials can go work for an interest group • Iron Triangle (congressional committees that make the laws, bureaucratic agency that enforces the laws and the interest groups that promote the laws) • Critics: Interest groups have too much say in policy • Proponents: Interest groups make government more responsive to the people

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