Am. Gov. Final Exam Review - Week 15: Elections

GOALS:

- Analyze the consequences of the effects of the media on the outcome of political elections

- Explain the effects of election outcomes on public policy.

Key Facts:

I.                    Political Campaigns

A.      Increasingly personalized

                                                               i.      Little connection to Party organization

                                                             ii.      Party influence has decayed

1.       Result of the direct primary

2.       Increasing influence of the media

3.       Changes in campaign finance laws

B.      Candidate goals and challenges

                                                               i.      Candidates must an create an organization

1.       Temporary

2.       Can raise money from many small donors

3.       Can mobilize enthusiastic supporters

                                                             ii.      Win the nomination by

1.       Appealing to the party faithful (especially in the primary election)

2.       Keep the ability to win moderate and independent voters who wouldn’t normally vote for them (in the general election).

C.      Election Outcomes’ effects

                                                               i.      Important for public policy (i.e. laws) (Barack Obama: “Elections have consequences.” The same quote was used by Republicans after 2010.)

                                                             ii.      Especially true during critical/realigning elections

1.       When new voters come into the electorate in large numbers

2.       Old Party Loyalties weaken

3.       A major issue is splitting the majority party.

II.                  The Media

A.      Has changed over time.

                                                               i.      This change accompanies and influences changes in American politics

1.       The rise of strong national parties

a.       was influenced by the emergence of daily newspapers.

2.       Major reform movements

a.       Influenced by national magazines catering to middle class opinion.

3.       Weakening of political parties

a.       Sped-up by ability of candidates to speak directly to voters through radio and TV.

                                                             ii.      Changing role of journalists over time

1.       Poses a problem

a.       They should serve well as information gatherers, gate keepers, score keepers, and watch dogs

b.      To do this, they must be free of government controls.

                                                                                                                                       i.      This means that they can act in their own political and economic interests.

2.       Effects

a.       a wide diversity of opinion

b.      a general but not unanimous goal of fairness in reporting

B.      Political Bias of Media

                                                               i.      National Media is generally more liberal than the local media.

                                                             ii.      How much do a reporter’s beliefs affect reporting?

1.       Varies greatly based on the type of

a.       Story

b.      Routine

c.       Feature

d.      insider