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What's Wrong with Interest Groups and Lobbying?
Citizens United v Federal Elections Commissions
What is Mass Media?
As a capitalist country there should be nothing wrong with companies wanting to contribute to certain candidates who's interests align with them.
The Framers created the US Government for the common good, (the benefit of all society) not just those with wealth and connections.
But, these companies can pump an unlimited amount of money into the US political system. Super PACs, interest groups, and lobbyists no longer donate to campaigns, they effectively but the candidates they want, and threaten to take their money away if they misbehave.
SCOTUS held that the 1st Amendment prohibited government from limiting the independent political expenditures by a nonprofit corporation, this precedent as been extended to for-profit corporations, labor unions and other associations.
Super Political Action Committees: Political action committees that can raise an unlimited amount of money to advocate for or against candidates, independently.
Medium: A means of communication. i.e. Book, Internet, Newspapers, TV.
Mass Media: Communication that can reach large, widely dispersed audiences (masses of people) simultaneously
In the 21st century, mass media is where the polls are carried out.
Aside from the Internet, which is difficult to control, the rest of America's media is owned by the super wealthy,
Media Consolidation: When most of a country's media outlets are owned by a few corporations.
6 Companies own and create the majority of media consumed in the US
These companies sink millions of dollars into both parties.
Interest Group's Influence on the American Public
http://votesmart.org/interest-groups/OH/#.WBZ1z_krKUk
Propaganda: One-sided information that is ant to
persuade the audience.
Commercials, Infomercials, Fake News Broadcasts.
Websites, mass emails and, bumper stickers are all examples of propaganda.
People with similar beliefs are targeted by interest group.
Grass Roots is a strategy by interest groups to get people active in a cause at the local level to try to put pressure on political leaders.
Political Action Committees: PACs are organizations that pool their contributions from members and donate it to campaigns and create campaign ads
How Lobbying Works
What are Interest Groups?
Fact Finding Trips: Political leaders get all
expense paid trips to learn about important topics
Junkets: Parties and events held by lobbyists to
influence large numbers of politicians at once.
Various Perks: Free lunches, sports tickets, trips,
etc. Because our leaders are only human they will often fall prey to material comforts offered by lobbyists, wouldn't you?
Measuring Public Opinion
Interest Groups, or Special Interest Groups: are groups
of people with common political beliefs that is determined to change or prevent public policy.
Being very diverse, they can range from small groups
of people, to labor unions, to corporate Think Tanks (organizations that conduct research and push public policy.)
These groups have several important roles...
A) Raise awareness of problems to lawmakers
B) Educate the US voters
With such a huge diverse country it is important to be able to measure public opinion.
A)Elections: Winning an elections gives the winner a mandate (authority given to a
leader bu the people making the decisions).
B) Personal Contacts: When a leader talks to his or her constituents, inefficient
measuring method
C) Media: TV, Internet, Papers, Magazines. Not always reliable... reporter bias, the
views of the media company & conflicting interest can distort the measuring of public opinion.
D) Public Opinion Polls: Devices created to collect info about public opinion by asking
people questions:
Straw Polls - invented in the 30s involves asking a large number of people the same questions it is an naccurate poll because large numbers do not equal an accurate sampling size
Scientific Polling - Similar to the scientific method, using correct samples to represent the population and then asking valid questions. Wording is used to shape response.
Media's Effects on US Politics
What influences Public Opinion?
How Lobbying Works
Because the Media's owners are
concerned with making a profit and increasing their power, consumers are kept in the dark.
Wedge Issues: Political topics that divide
people instead of unite them... Gay Marriage, Abortion, Gun Control.
Fox New's Bill O'Reily and MSNBC's
Rachael Maddow are examples of this
Many of the same factors that influence
political parties also influence public opinion.
A) Family: From birth to five, the family is
most important
B) Schools: From 5 - 18, teachers and
friends have a lot of influence
C) Opinion Leaders: Influential people in a
person's life. Can be political or social
D) Mass Media: TV, Internet, Music, etc.
have a huge influence on public opinion.
The best way for interest groups to directly influence lawmakers
is...
Lobbying: The process of influencing governments decisions.
In the US lobbying is a part of the political system. Not outright
bribery.
Lobbyist: A person, sometimes an out of office lawmaker, who
makes money influencing politicians.
K Street: The nickname for the lobbying establishment based in
Washington DC. Interest groups and the wealthy go here to pay lobbyists to influence political leaders.
What is Public Opinion?
In a democratic country leaders must always
worry about what their constituents want.
Public Opinion - the attitudes held by a significant
number of persons on matters off government & politics
Because it is such a key factor in determining what
elected officials do, going against it can have negative effects.