1. Intro: 11/28/06  Interpreting Diagrams – “The Political Spectrum” page 209  Interpreting graphs page 212

2. Interpreting Diagrams – “The Political Spectrum” - 209  A) Liberals tend to favor government action in economics; conservatives generally oppose and keep in the hands of individuals.

3. Interpreting Graphs page 212  Americans have more access to TV than the others…over 98% of homes have a TV

4. Put an ‘A’ for agree; ‘D’ for disagree - 1  The Federal Government should see to it that all people have adequate housing.

5. Put an ‘A’ for Govt. responsible; ‘B’ for Govt. not responsible - 2  Some people feel the federal government should see to it that all people have adequate housing, while others feel each person should provide his or her own housing. Which comes closest to how you feel?

6. Put an ‘A’ for Govt. responsible; ‘B’ for Govt. not responsible - 3  Some people feel each person should provide his or her own housing, while others feel the federal government should see to it that all people have adequate housing,. Which comes closest to how you feel?

7. Put an ‘A’ for agree; ‘D’ for disagree - 1  The Federal Government should see to it that all people have adequate housing.  AGREE – 55.1%  DISAGREE - 44.9%

8. Put an ‘A’ for Govt. responsible; ‘B’ for Govt. not responsible - 2  Some people feel the federal government should see to it that all people have adequate housing, while others feel each person should provide his or her own housing. Which comes closest to how you feel?  Govt. Responsible – 44.6%  Govt. not responsible – 55.4%

9. Put an ‘A’ for Govt. responsible; ‘B’ for Govt. not responsible - 3  Some people feel each person should provide his or her own housing, while others feel the federal government should see to it that all people have adequate housing,. Which comes closest to how you feel?  Govt. Responsible – 29.5%  Govt. not responsible – 70.5%

10. Chapter 8.2 – The Measurement of Public Opinion (P.O.)  What are some challenges of measuring public opinion?  What are polls and how do you evaluate them?  What limits are there on the force of public opinion?

11. The Challenge of Measuring Public Opinion  1. Through Elections: They are at best a vague, general direction of P.O.  2. Through Interest Groups: make P.O. available to political leaders; support is difficult to gauge  3. Through the Media: The media is NOT an accurate mirror of P.O.  4. Through Personal Contacts: Although a public official may have contact with many people, it does not let them gauge public opinion

12. Polls  1. Best Measure of P.O. – P.O. polls have been used for over 100 years; not reliable until the 1930’s  2. Scientific Polling – Starting in the 1930’s P.O. has been gauged in a scientific method.  3. Scientific Polling Process – a.) Define what will be polled b.) construct a sample c.) prepare VALID questions d.) select and control how the poll can be taken e.) report the findings to the public

13. Evaluation of Polls  1. Polls are generally reliable and help focus attention on public issues 2. It is difficult to measure intensity, stability or relevance of the opinions they study.

14. Limits on the force of public opinion  1. Public opinion is only one of many influences on public policy  2. Separation of Powers and the Bill of Rights are designed to check the power of the majority and protect the minority.

15. What do polls tell us?

16. Chapter 8.3 – Mass Media and Politics Objectives:  Describe what makes up “mass media”.  Describe media’s impact on politics.  List limits on media’s influence

17. An overview of Mass Media 1. Television – TV is the principal source of political information for about 80% of the population.

18. An overview of Mass Media 2. Newspapers – Newspapers, which can carry much more in- depth information than TV news, are the second most important source of political information in the US.

19. An overview of Mass Media 3. Radio – Since its advent in the 1920’s, radio has played a major role in informing Americans. Is it today?

20. An overview of Mass Media 4. Magazines – Major news magazines and journals of opinion are important sources of political news and comment.

21. Media’s impact on Politics 1. The Public Agenda – the issues on which the media focuses determine what the public thinks about, if not what it thinks.

22. Media’s impact on Politics 2. Electoral Politics – TV has influenced political campaigns by making candidates more concerned about public “image” and less dependent on party organizations than ever before.

23. Limits on Media Influence  Most Americans do not follow public affairs closely  Those who do select their sources of information to reflect or bolster opinions they already hold.  Lack of public interest in politics limits the amount of news mass media is able to present.