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Interest Groups/Media

Interest Groups/Media. 4/24/2012. Clearly Communicated Learning Objectives in Written Form. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: discuss and critically analyze political events in the United States government

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Interest Groups/Media

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  1. Interest Groups/Media 4/24/2012

  2. Clearly Communicated Learning Objectives in Written Form • Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: • discuss and critically analyze political events in the United States government • students will be able to identify and explain the role of  informal institutions and their effect on policy.  • students will be able to assess the 2010 and 2012 elections without resorting to partisan bickering.

  3. Office Hours and Readings • Chapter 7 • Office Hours • Today 11-2 • Wednesday 10-2

  4. Interest groups and the electoral connection On the campaign trail

  5. Why Get involved? • You want to keep people you trust in position • You want to control the agenda

  6. Getting the membership active • Encouraging members to donate • Hitlists • Scorecards

  7. How Much Can Members Give?

  8. Spending Money

  9. Money is a form of Political Speech • Buckley v. Valeo • At the federal level, fundraising is not capped • Neither are expenditures

  10. Political Action Committees • The Money Giving Arm of an Interest Group • Can Give $5,000 per candidate per election

  11. Different PACs have different Goals • Issue PACS • Labor PACS • Ideological PACS • Leadership PACS

  12. PACS Give to Safe Seats • Money flows to safe seats • Giving money to losers has no return on investment • If I wanted to buy seats, I would give to underdogs and closer races

  13. Pacs Give To Incumbents • I care about the issues, not the label • I want to keep my supporters in office • Keep my enemies out

  14. PACS Give to People Who Already Support them • “Corporations Love Everyone” • You want them to get reelected • You want them to continue to support your ideas

  15. PACS do not Give To Undecided Members • Money could convince them to vote my way • But what if it doesn’t • Its safer to hang on to it

  16. PACS do not give to their enemies • My money is not going to change their votes • They won’t take my money anyway

  17. The Goal Of PAC Money • Access • A chance to meet with legislators • Ensure my views are represented

  18. Unconventional strategies

  19. What are Unconventional Strategies • Things outside of traditional lobbying • Using events and media coverage to gather support • Can border on legality

  20. Why Groups Use Unconventional Strategies • Lack the Traditional Resources of powerful interest groups • Conventional strategies may not work • The group is committed to the message

  21. Problems of Unconvential Strategies Wrong Coverage No Coverage

  22. Unconventional Strategies Can Backfire

  23. 9 out of 10 times Grassroots is a euphemism for poor or unorganized

  24. Astroturf Movements • “fake grassroots” • Sponsored by a few donors, a union, or a corporation • Ross Perot was one of the first

  25. Problems of interest Groups

  26. The System is Biased • It is not a fair system • All components of interest group power are not distributed evenly

  27. Representational Inequality

  28. Access Inequality • Benefits Matter • Some Groups will never form • Some groups will form easily

  29. New Money In elections

  30. Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission Corporations and labor unions can spend unlimited amounts of undisclosed money to call for the election or defeat of candidates all the way to election day. Can include the magic words Cannot be in conjunction with a candidate or party

  31. Independent Expenditures in 2010 From The Right From The Left

  32. Super PACS • Can collect unlimited amounts of disclosed money • Must be independent • Can collect from “non-profits” who don’t disclose money

  33. “The Flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper class accent”.

  34. The Media and Politics

  35. The Role of the Media • Is an informal institution • Is a linkage institution • It is profit driven

  36. What The Media Does: Reports The News • The basic function • Giving news and information • The 24 Hour News Cycle

  37. What the Media Does: Agenda Setting • What is it • Bring Matters to the forefront, or conceal them

  38. Goals of Agenda Setting • Make people aware of issues • Make issue salient • Set the priority of issues

  39. Gatekeepers • Key people who control what we watch • Help to shape political priorities • Driven by profit

  40. What gatekeepers use • The authority of the source • The Amount of Controversy • The importance

  41. Providing us with political information

  42. Where we get Political Information

  43. The Type of Media Matters • Television is the most important • The internet is the fastest, but has the most bias

  44. We Would Rather Watch Mistakes • Bad Sushi • People Falling

  45. Newspapers and Magazines • Newspapers • Provide more information and Detail • Very few cities have multiple papers anymore • Magazines- vary in content and quality

  46. The Decline of Old media

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