Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
CHAPTER 23 Reading Preview Section 2 Influencing Your Vote Objectives 1. Learn about messages from the candidates. 2. Understand the reasons for messages from interest groups. 3. Learn about recognizing propaganda techniques. 4. Explore how news media report the elections. Target Reading Skill Preview and Predict Preview the section before you begin reading. Look at the headings and images. Then predict what the subject of the section is. Use a diagram like this for your preview and prediction. ---see diagram Vocabulary Strategy Recognizing Signal Words Some events are connected in cause-and- effect relationships. The words in the chart signal causes and effects. Cause-and-Effect Signal Words because since as a result affect lead to so that therefore for this reason if ... then 237 Section 2 Summary Candidates reach voters in many ways. Interest groups campaign for candidates and the issues they support. The media cover elections. All three groups influence voters. Messages from the Candidates Candidates try to get voters's support in many ways. Posters and bumper stickers make candidates' names known. Personal appearances help to spread a candidate's message. Direct mail helps candidates reach voters who have special interests. Candidates place ads in the media. Some tell voters about candidates' stands on major issues. But most focus on a candidate's personality, rather than his or her abilities. For this reason, media ads are not good sources of information. Messages from Interest Groups Interest groups want to help elect people who agree with them. Large interest groups have political action committees (PACs) to carry out these election activities. They work hard for or against ballot measures. Some get money from the people they represent. Others use direct mail to find people who agree with their views. They hope these people will send them money. Many people think that the "special interests" that PACs help have too much power in government. They say that interest groups stand for only a small percentage of people or care about only one issue. Key Terms direct mail (dih REKT MAYL) n. a way of sending messages to large groups of people through the mail media (MEE dee uh) n. television, radio, newspapers, and magazines Vocabulary Strategy Recognizing Signal Words Circle words that signal effects under the heading Messages from the Candidates. Reading Check Underline the sentence that tells how direct mail can help candidates. Reading Check Bracket the text that tells what PACs are. 238 Recognizing Propaganda Techniques Candidates and interest groups want to influence how people think and act. They use propaganda to do this. Propaganda may tell only one side of the story It may twist the truth. It may appeal mostly to people's feelings. This chart shows six common kinds of propaganda. Propaganda Techniques Glittering Generalities Use words and phrases that sound appealing and that everyone agrees with. Example: "I Stand Far freedom and the American way." Card Stacking Use only those facts that support your argument. Example: "My opponent voted against raising social security." (You do not mention that she voted no because the proposed increase was too small.) Plain Folks Tell voters that you are just like them - an ordinary person with similar needs and ideas. Example: "I've lived in this city all my life. My children go to the same schools as your children do." Name Calling Attach negative labels to your opponent. Example: "He's soft on crime." Bandwagon Appeal to desire to follow the crowd. Example: "Polls show that more than 80 percent of voters support me." Transfer Connect yourself to a respected person, group, or symbol. Example: "Remember what Abraham Lincoln said..." How News Media Report the Elections News reporting is supposed to provide facts, but it sometimes shows bias. The news media also tell people about opinion polls. A poll asks questions of a small part of a group. The answers are then taken to stand for how the whole group would answer. Some people think that polls should not be used. Some voters choose a certain candidate mainly because that candidate is leading in the polls. Others decide whether to vote or not based on opinion polls. Many voters today receive most of their information about candidates and issues from TV. Some people say that television has made election issues seem unimportant. Candidates plan their messages and campaign activities to look good on TV. Review Questions 1. How do candidates get voters to vote for them? 2. Name three ways to tell if a message is propaganda. Key Terms propaganda (prop uh GAN duh) n. a message meant to change people's ideas or actions bias (BĪ us) n. giving support to one point of view Target Reading Skill Preview and Predict Preview the section Recognizing Propaganda Techniques. Then make a prediction about it. Use this diagram to preview and predict Reading Check Underline the sentence that describes the goal of candidates and interest groups. Vocabulary Strategy Recognizing Signal Words Bracket the sentence that contains a cause-and-effect signal word. Underline the word. Then write C above the cause and E above the effect. Reading Check Circle the sentences that explain how polls influence voter behavior 239