UNIT 4: CAMPAIGNS, ELECTIONS, AND THE

MEDIA

By: Hannah Hughes andHanna LymanPeriod 4

OVERVIEW

Political Beliefs and Behavior: 10-20%Nature, sources, and consequences of public opinionRole of voting in democratic systemsFactors that influence political behavior

Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media: 10-20%Role of the media in the democratic process

GUIDING QUESTIONS

WHAT FACTORS SHAPE VOTER BEHAVIOR?EducationOccupation/incomeAgeRaceGender

ReligionMarital statusUnion membershipParty identificationgeography

ASSESS EFFORTS TO REFORM CAMPAIGN STRATEGY AND FINANCE. WHAT HAS PROVIDED THE IMPETUS FOR THIS MOVEMENT?The Federal Election Campaign Act provided the impetus for this movement because it provided for a new system of campaign financing for federal elections based on three principles: public funding of presidential elections, limitations on the amounts presidential candidates could spend on their campaigns, and public disclosure of how much candidates spend to get elected.

WHAT ROLE DOES THE MEDIA PLAY IN CAMPAIGNS, ELECTIONS, AND POLICYMAKING?Inform publicShape public opinionLink citizens and governmentInvestigate and examineAgenda setting by influencing what subjects because national issues

EVALUATE THE CONCEPT OF IMAGE AND IMAGE DEVELOPMENT. HOW DO CANDIDATES AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS GROOM THEIR IMAGE, AND HOW DOES IMAGE IMPACT ELECTIONS?

They “groom” their image so they can relate to all audiences. This “image” allows others to better understand their party and what it is all about. In all, the image allows the candidate to receive more votes.

DESCRIBE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE AND THE MEDIA.The media has a tremendous effect on political candidates, because it is the media's job to cover and track the progress of the candidate. The media also decides what the public sees and doesn't see, so whether or not the public sees the good side of a candidate is more or less up to the media.

HOW DOES THE MOTIVATION AND STRUCTURE OF MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS INFLUENCE THE NATURE OF NEWS COVERAGE IN AMERICA?

The nature of news coverage in America is influenced by the rigorous and extreme media organizations, because all of the news stations want to be the ones to break the biggest news to the public, so the media is just about at all times all over political events that are occurring in order to get a "breaking story."

HOW HAS THE GROWTH OF THE INTERNET CHANGED MEDIA IN AMERICA?The internet has made news readily accessible to just about anyone in the blink of an eye, and as a result many news corporations have gone online in the form of news websites with online articles equipped with pictures and videos. This is much more efficient in getting news around than waiting all week for a newspaper to show up at the front door.

WHAT HAVE BEEN THE HISTORICAL ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE SYSTEM?Advantagescontributes to the cohesiveness of the country by requiring a distribution of popular support to be elected president

enhances the status of minority interestscontributes to the political stability of the nation  by encouraging a two party system

maintains a federal system of government and representationits comprised of educated and professional voters

DisadvantagesThe possibility of electing a minority party presidentthe risk of so called "faithless" electorsthe possible role of the Electoral College in depressing voter turnoutits failure to accurately reflect the national popular will

VOCABULARY

Plural election: the winning candidate is the person who receives more votes than anyone else, but less than half the total.

Single-member district: electoral district from which one person is chosen by the voters for each elected office.

Horse-race journalism: the tendency of the media to cover campaigns by emphasizing how candidates stand in the polls instead of where they stand on the issues.

527 group: a type of U.S. tax-exempt organization that is created primarily to influence the selection, nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates to federal, state or local public office.

Closed primary: elections where only people who have registered in advance with the party can vote for that party’s candidate, increases loyalty.

Mass media: means of communication such as newspaper, radio, TV, and the internet that can reach many people.

Campaign strategy: the master game plan candidates lay out to guide their electoral campaign.

Caucus (state party): a meeting of local party members to choose party officials/candidates for public office and to decide the platform.

Presidential Primary: a statewide primary election of delegates to a political party’s national convention, held to determine a party’s prudential nominee.

National primary: a proposed nationwide primary that would replace the current system of caucuses and presidential primaries.

Regional primaries: a proposal by critics of the caucuses and presidential primaries to replace those electoral methods with a series of primaries held in each geographical region.

Soft money: contributions to political parties for party-building activities. Soft money contributions are used to circumvent limits on hard money.

Referendum: a legislative act is referred for final approval to a popular vote by the electorate.

Superdelegates: national party leaders who automatically get a delegate spot at the Democratic national party convention.

Frontloading: the recent pattern of states holding primaries early in order to maximize their media attention and political influence. ¾ of the presidential primaries are now help between February and mid-March.

Selective perception: people often pay the most attention to things they already agree with and interpret them according to their own predispositions.

Legitimacy: A characterization of elections by political scientists meaning that they are almost universally accepted as a fair and free method of selecting political leaders.

Initiative Petition: A process permitted in some states whereby voters may put proposed changes in the state constitution to a vote if sufficient signatures are obtained on petitions calling for such a referendum.

Civic Duty: The belief that in order to support democratic government, a citizen should always vote.

Mandate Theory of Elections: The idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out his or her platforms and politics. Politicians like the theory better than political scientists do.

Policy Voting: electoral choices that are made on the basis of the voters' policy preferences and on the basis of where the candidates stand on policy issues.

Retrospective Voting: A theory of voting in which voters essentially ask this simple question: "What have you done for me lately?"

Media Events: Events purposely staged for the media that nonetheless look spontaneous. In keeping with politics as theater, media events can be staged by individuals, groups, and government officials, especially presidents.

Press Conferences: an unrestricted session between an elected official and the press.

Investigative Journalism: The use of in depth reporting to unearth scandals, scams and schemes which at times puts the reporters in adversarial relationships with political leaders.

Media Chains: Large conglomerates of media sources/outlets controlled by one major corporation (i.e. ABC, MSNBC, etc.).

Narrow Casting: Broadcasting that is targeted to one small sector of the population.

Trial Balloons: an intentional news leak for the purpose of assessing the political reaction.

Sound bites:  short snippets of information aimed at dramatizing a story rather than explaining its substantive meaning

McGovern-Fraser Commission: Formed at the 1968 Democratic convention to make the Party conventions more representative, in response to demands for reform by minority groups/others. (Eg. All delegate selection had to be open/transparent).

Federal Election Campaign Act: They provided for a new system of campaign financing for federal elections based on three principles: public funding of presidential elections, limitations on the amounts presidential candidates could spend on their campaigns, and public disclosure of how much candidates spend to get elected.

Motor Voter Act: passed in 1993, this act went into effect for the 1996 election. It requires states to permit people to register to vote at the same time they apply for a driver's license

READINGS…

Pages 264-292 (Chapter 9)

Pages 294-318 (Chapter 10)

Pages 206-216

Pages 216-231