Download Unit 4 Chapter 11 Notes Power Point

Complete the Guided Reading / Structured Notes as
you view the Power Point.
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Essential Standards:
CE.C&G.2.8: Distinguish between one, two and
multi-party governments
CE.C&G.3.6: Analyze the role media, interest
groups, political parties, and propaganda play in
influencing elections and public policy
CE.C&G.5.1: Explain the election process
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Influencing Government
Section 1: Forming Public Opinion
Public Opinion
◦ Public Opinion- the ideas and attitudes that most
people hold about elected officials, candidates,
government, and political issues
◦ Knowing public opinion helps elected officials make
decisions
◦ It is important to know not all people share the
same opinion
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Section 2: The Mass Media
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Types of Media
◦ Print Media- newspapers, magazines, newsletters,
and books
◦ Electronic Media- radio, television, Internet
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Public Agenda
◦ Public Agenda- issues that receive the most time,
money, and effort from government leaders
◦ Media influences public opinion
◦ The media have the power to define some issues
as problems while others go unnoticed
◦ When the media brings attention to a problem the
people expect the government to solve the issue
 Disease, war, weather, jobs
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Media and Elected Officials
◦ Elected officials want the media to show them as
hardworking and effective leaders
◦ They also rely on the media to communicate information
to the public about government activities and decisions
◦ Leak- The release of secret government information by
anonymous government officials to the media
◦ Elected officials may leak information to the press to
test public opinion on a proposal without having to
acknowledge that the government is considering it
◦ A leak lets officials take credit for good ideas and
avoid the blame for bad ideas
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Watchdog Role
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Media and National Security
◦ The media exposes corruption and warns the public
of mistakes or misconduct by government officials
◦ There is tension between the American citizen’s
need for information and the need for the
government to keep secrets to protect national
security
◦ The government can control information the media
reports by classifying information as secret or by
limiting press coverage of military action
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Media Safeguards
◦ Democracy requires a free flow of information
and ideas
◦ The Supreme Court has ruled that the key to the
First Amendment protection is freedom from prior
restraint
◦ Prior Restraint- government censorship of material
before it is published
◦ Generally, the government cannot tell the media
what or what not to publish
◦ Freedom of the press is not completely unlimited
◦ No one is free to publish false information that will
harm someone’s reputation- libel
◦ Libel- publishing false information that will harm
someone’s reputation
◦ You may sue if false statements are written about
you that harm your reputation
◦ To win a libel lawsuit, the Supreme Court ruled in
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964) that you must
be able to prove malice- meaning the publisher
knew it was false or did not care about the truth
◦ Malice- evil intent
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Regulating the Media
◦ One way the government regulates broadcasting is
through the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC)
◦ The FCC is a regulatory commission (managing
commission) of the federal government
◦ The FCC cannot censor broadcasts, but it can
penalize stations that violate its rules
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Section 3: Interests Groups
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Types of Interests Groups
◦ Interests Groups are groups of people who share a
point of view and unite to promote their viewpoints
◦ Interests groups (aka Special Interest Groups) are
biased toward their on agenda
◦ Bias- not considering all viewpoints equally
◦ Members of interest groups believe by joining
together they can increase their chances of
influencing decision makers
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Interest Groups and Government
◦ Primary goal of interest groups is to influence
public policy
◦ Public Policy- the course of action government
takes in response to an issue or problem
◦ To influence public policy, interest groups focus
their efforts on elections, the courts and
lawmakers
◦ Some groups use resources to support candidates
who support issues they are concerned with
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Lobbying Government
◦ Lobbyist- representatives of interest groups who
contact lawmakers or other government officials
directly to influence their policy making
◦ Interest groups use lobbyists to help them
influence all levels of government officials (national,
state, and local)
◦ A lobbyists’ job is to persuade government officials
to support their interest group’s policies
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Beware propaganda
◦ Interests groups use propaganda to promote a
particular viewpoint or idea
◦ Propaganda- To spread certain ideas that may
involve misleading messages designed to manipulate
people
◦ To avoid being misled, citizens need to recognize
types of propaganda
 Endorsements- if people admire the person
endorsing a candidate or product they will vote
for them or buy the product
 Stacked Cards- present only one side of an issue;
usually distorts facts (“She doesn’t support money
for education…”)
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Propaganda Videos
Endorsements
Stacked Cards
 Name-Calling- using an unpleasant label or
description to turn people against a person or idea
 Glittering Generally- statement that sounds good
but is meaningless (“reduce the size of
government” or “change”)
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Propaganda Videos
Name Calling
Glittering Generalities
 Transfer- use symbols when appealing to the
public (standing in front of a flag, wearing a flag
pin)
 Just Plain Folks- to make people think the
candidate is just like them with the same desires
and concerns (wearing jeans to speak to farmers)
 The Bandwagon- convincing people that everyone
agrees with the person or interest group’s
viewpoint
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Propaganda Videos
Transfer
Just Plain Folks
Bandwagon