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Why is the media important in American politics?
- The media is important in politics because it is an easy way
- for people to obtain information about what is going on in the government. As
- American lives have gotten busier people have spent less time being involved in
- politics and now rely on the quickest and easiest up date of the current events
- that concern them. This has led to people putting a lot of faith and trust into
- the media with their own well being. The trust that Americans have in the media
- has now increased the responsibility that the media has to report the news fair
- and balanced and not frame news in the way they want it to be seen.
-
How does media influence impact election campaigns, public
opinion, and government officials?
The media has influence over the elections in many different ways.
-
How does media influence impact election campaigns, public
opinion, and government officials?
Election
Campaigns-
- By following and reporting on the campaigns run by the
- different candidates the news channels are giving them free publicity.
- Candidates are able to reach less engaged voters across party lines by getting
- the media to pick up on their “soft news” stories. KR395. The media has been
- making it possible since 1976 for more people to see the presidential debate
- than ever before. This has become a main focal point in the elections.
-
How does media influence impact election campaigns, public
opinion, and government officials?
- Public Opinion
- Political scientist acknowledge that ideological bias may
- exist in the media but the media tells us what to think about and not what to
- think. This may be true and the media may not say vote for this candidate but
- there is a lot of emphasis put on how a topic is framed. If the media frames a
- topic in any certain way it is just as bad as telling the population what to
- think because most Americans don’t give much thought to politics and the ones
- that do will do the proper research and come to there own conclusions. KR pg. 423
-
How does media influence impact election campaigns, public
opinion, and government officials?
-Government Officials
- The media has power over government officials even if we
- don’t see it. The media reports on what the government does which is the most
- blatant way that it has influence because the gov. officials do not want to be
- portrayed in a bad light and have there approval ratings drop. Another way that
- the media has influence over the government officials is by agenda setting
- through priming. Priming refers to the way that the media influence how people
- and events should be evaluated by things they emphasize as important. If the
- media is focused on the crime rate in the country, then government officials
- will be evaluating how well they are dealing with crime. If the media
- emphasizes the environment then government officials will evaluate how they are
- being environmentally friendly. KR pg. 423
-
How well does the media perform its function as the “fourth
branch” of government?
- The media can be looked at as an important source for people
- to obtain information about the government. However, I do not believe that it
- can be considered the fourth branch of government. One can argue that the media
- keeps the different branches of government in check by reporting on their
- shortcomings. However, the three branches of government have checks and
- balances that go both ways, because of the first amendments freedom of the
- press the media does not have a constitutional way for the government to have a
- check on it. As far as the media having a check on the government they
- definitely have significant influence. However, I wouldn’t say that it was a
- check on the government as much as it is a manipulation on the government and
- what the government focuses on as important issues.
-
What role does Congress play in American government? notes
- Congress is the representation of the people through the
- house and senate.
They create and pass laws.
The House has the power to create all bills to raise revenue
-
What role does Congress play in American government?
- Congress plays a very important role in our government and
- is what makes us a representative republic. The legislative branch of
- government was originally created to give the people there voice which is why
- the House of Representatives has one representative for every 30,000 people in
- that state and the Senate has 2 representatives for each state. The two houses
- provide for equal representation for largely populated areas as well as the
- small states. Congress has the ability to create and pass laws that the people
- want. This government is in my opinion the most important branch because it is
- the branch that citizens are supposed to be the number one priority.
-
What power does the Constitution give to Congress? notes
- Congress and the president share responsibilities for
- foreign affairs and defense
- Post WWII presidents have been taking national security into
- there own hands for their own prerogatives
- Congress has the authority to declare war; the presidents
- have been recently been asserting rights they do not have to declare war (since
- 1945 three major wars resulting in tens of thousands casualties have been
- presidentially initiated)*
- The senate’s participation is required for treaties to be
- signed; often is replace by executive agreements (not required)
- They can impeach the president. House of representatives
- Constitution Article I section 2
- Senate has the sole power to try all impeachments
- Constitution Article I section 3
Congress has the power to lay and collect taxes
- Regulate money, establish post offices, declare war, raise
- and support armies, maintain a navy U.S. Constitution Article I section 8
-
What power does the Constitution give to Congress? essay
- The U.S. Constitution outline the rights and
- responsibilities given to Congress in the first article of the Constitution.
- This Article gives the Legislative branch the authority to maintain a standing
- army and navy and declare war. However, since 1950 Presidents have taken there
- position as Commander and chief to meant that they can declare war. Beginning
- with President Truman and the war in Korea and then President Kennedy and the
- war in Vietnam and finally most recent was President George W. Bush and the war
- in Iraq and Afghanistan. Congress and the president share responsibilities for
- foreign affairs and defense and as outlined in the constitution are to
- collaborate on treaties or a t least the treaties are to be signed by the
- Senate. The Constitution gives the House of Representatives the right to
- impeach the president (article I section 2) and any impeachment put forth by
- the House of Representatives may be reviewed by the senate (article I section
- 3). Congress has the power to lay and collect taxes, regulate and print money,
- and establish a national post office (article I section 8).
-
How can Congress Check the Powers of the Executive
(President) and Judiciary (Supreme Court)?
- In order to have an effective federal government and not
- have a monarchy our Founders set up checks and balances on each branch of
- government to keep us a representative republic. The Legislative branch is able
- to check the Executive branch by approving the Presidents appointments for the
- judiciary; they can over throw the Presidents veto and can impeach the
- president. Congress is able to check the Judicial branch by approving the
- presidential appointments and is can also impeach a judge and remove them from
- office.
-
What does the recent struggle over health care reform reveal
about how Congress works?
- Through the recent struggle of the
- health care reform in Congress it has become apparent that the partisan ship in
- the two houses has caused major difficulties in getting this highly
- controversial bill passed. Some may argue that the health care bill should
- hurry up and get passed. Although
- I do not agree that Congress should waste time and constantly filibuster I do
- think that they should take there time discussing a bill of this magnitude. If
- people believe that Congress should hurry up and pass the bill they should
- think of the opposite extreme of a bill being quickly passed through congress
- that did not end up being in the best interest of the people, the Patriot Act.
- This act was passed approximately 45 days after the September 11th
- attacks. This bill was later found to breech citizen’s constitutional rights. I
- think this is part to blame on the rush that congress and the executive were to
- pass the bill.
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