Unit 5 Part IIIUnit 5 Part III

Interest Groups and Mass Interest Groups and Mass MediaMedia

What is public opinion?What is public opinion?

The ideas and attitudes that The ideas and attitudes that people hold about an issue or people hold about an issue or personperson

What influences Public What influences Public Opinion?Opinion? Personal Background – Personal Background – age, gender, age, gender,

income, race, religion, and where income, race, religion, and where you liveyou live

Mass Media – Mass Media – TV, internet, books, TV, internet, books, newspapers, radio, moviesnewspapers, radio, movies

Public Officials – Public Officials – political leaders political leaders and government officialsand government officials

Interest Groups – Interest Groups – work to persuade work to persuade people to their point of viewpeople to their point of view

How is public opinion How is public opinion measured?measured? Election resultsElection results Public Opinion Poll – Public Opinion Poll – survey of survey of

individuals beliefs about individuals beliefs about particular issue or personparticular issue or person

What do we mean by What do we mean by the term the term Mass MediaMass Media Methods of mass Methods of mass

communicationcommunication

What are forms of What are forms of mass media?mass media? Print media – Print media – books, books,

magazines, newspapersmagazines, newspapers Electronic media – Electronic media – TV, radio, TV, radio,

internetinternet

What determines what What determines what news items are shown by news items are shown by the mass media?the mass media? What will attract the most What will attract the most

viewers in order to make a viewers in order to make a profitprofit

What is the public What is the public agenda?agenda? The issues and problems that The issues and problems that

receive the most money, time receive the most money, time and effort from the and effort from the governmentgovernment

How does mass media How does mass media affect the public affect the public agenda?agenda? Have effect on what the Have effect on what the

public thinks is importantpublic thinks is important

What other roles does What other roles does mass media serve?mass media serve? Candidates for officeCandidates for office

– Give candidates exposure to run for Give candidates exposure to run for officeoffice

– Give candidates idea of what the public Give candidates idea of what the public is concerned aboutis concerned about

Test public reaction: Politicians Test public reaction: Politicians sometimes sometimes leak (leak (secretly pass on secretly pass on infoinfo) ) to gage how the public will reactto gage how the public will react

Watchdog Role – Watchdog Role – expose expose government waste and corruptiongovernment waste and corruption

What protects the What protects the media from media from censorship?censorship? Amendment Amendment II – protects the – protects the

press from press from prior restraintprior restraint – – censorship of material before censorship of material before it is publishedit is published

What limits are there What limits are there on the freedom of the on the freedom of the press?press? Libel – Libel – cannot print false info cannot print false info

that will harm someonethat will harm someone Slander – Slander – cannot speak cannot speak

untruths that harm someoneuntruths that harm someone FCC – FCC – regulate broadcasting regulate broadcasting

and can punish stations that and can punish stations that break rulesbreak rules

What are What are interest interest groupsgroups?? A group of people who who A group of people who who

share a point of view about an share a point of view about an issue and unite to promote issue and unite to promote their beliefstheir beliefs

Why do people join Why do people join interest groups?interest groups? People believe that by joining People believe that by joining

together they can increase together they can increase their influencetheir influence

What protects the right What protects the right of people to join interest of people to join interest groups?groups? The First Amendments The First Amendments

freedom of assemblyfreedom of assembly

Private Interest Private Interest GroupsGroups Economic Interest Groups:Economic Interest Groups: Focus on economic issuesFocus on economic issues US Chamber of Commerce – US Chamber of Commerce –

promotes free enterprisepromotes free enterprise AFL-CIO – AFL-CIO – alliance of labor unions alliance of labor unions

that fight for workers rightsthat fight for workers rights AMA – AMA – American Medical American Medical

Association: represents doctorsAssociation: represents doctors

Special Interest Special Interest GroupsGroups Promote a ethnic group, age, Promote a ethnic group, age,

gender, religion or other gender, religion or other special issuespecial issue

NAACPNAACP

National Association for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Advancement of Colored PeoplePeople

NOWNOW

National Organization of National Organization of WomenWomen

AARPAARP

American Association of American Association of Retired PeopleRetired People

NRANRA

National Rifle AssociationNational Rifle Association

Public Interest GroupsPublic Interest Groups

Support causes that affect the Support causes that affect the lives of Americans in generallives of Americans in general

League of Women League of Women VotersVoters

Educates voters about Educates voters about candidates and issuescandidates and issues

MADDMADD

Mothers Against Drunk Mothers Against Drunk DriversDrivers

In what ways do interest In what ways do interest groups try and influence groups try and influence the government?the government?

By forming PAC’s – By forming PAC’s – political action political action committees to raise money for committees to raise money for candidatescandidates

Going to court – Going to court – taking cases to taking cases to court to bring attention to themcourt to bring attention to them

By hiring lobbyists – By hiring lobbyists – specialists specialists who try to influence lawmakerswho try to influence lawmakers

What protects the rights What protects the rights of interest groups to try of interest groups to try and influence and influence government decisions?government decisions?

The first amendments The first amendments freedom to petitionfreedom to petition