Interest Groups, Media, and Political Influence: Key Concepts for Civics and Government

interest Groups

organization that actively seeks to influence public policy

PAC

Donate $5000 (2x)

Interest groups focus on people already in office bc higher chance win again

Lobbying vs Electioneering

influence someone in certain way

Access: purpose is to get in front of congressman (person with power) and convince them to vote in certain way

money they give to politicians does not change their mind→ give it to people who already agree with them

Pluralism

A theory of government that holds that open, multiple, and competing groups can check the asserted power by any one group.

economic groups

Interest groups that are organized primarily for economic reasons but that engage in political activity in order to seek favorable policies from government.

Non-Economic Groups

Seek betterment of society as a whole

• Environmentalists

• Civil liberty activists

Collective Action Problem

Understand incentives

If issue requires us all to act together, loses incentive to work together

Climate Issues

tradgedy of the commons

the notion that any resource thats open to everyone, like air, or part of the ocean will eventually be destroyed because everyone can use it, but no one is held responsible for preserving it

private goods

goods that are both excludable and rival in consumption

collective goods

Goods and services, such as clean air and clean water, that by their nature cannot be denied to anyone.

free rider problem

Ppl can't act collectively, will ride out the effects of a problem and things won't be resolved/resources run out

purposeive incentive

a benefit that comes from serving a cause or principle

citizen groups

form group with ordinary ppl need to solve collective action problem

membership group

a group to which a person belongs to, or realistically can join

Information Commons vs. Fractured Media System

a shared set of facts and ideas transmitted to them through the news media. Not every American derived the same meaning from the news they were getting, and the reporting had its blind spots

collapse more and more people no longer trust it

echo chamber

The idea that people pay attention to media that conforms to their ideological view to the exclusion of media that offer alternative perspectives.

partisan press

an early dominant style of American journalism distinguished by opinion newspapers, which generally argued one political point of view or pushed the plan of the particular party that subsidized the paper

Yellow Journalism

Journalism that exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers

sensationalism

the use of exciting or shocking stories or language at the expense of accuracy, in order to provoke public interest or excitement.

adold ochs

objective info and trust paper bc before it was just who could find juiciest gossip

bundling

10 PAC and pack together to donate $$$

inside lobbying vs. outside lobbying

group efforts to develop and maintain close ("inside") contacts with policymakers.

indirect advocacy strategy where organizations influence public policy by mobilizing public opinion (voting)

grassroots effort

Affect policy from bottom up

Ordinary people to do the right thing

revolving door

Life time access to congressional office building → house members and senate members become lobbyists bc connections~ 2 yr wait

Shadow lobbying: hired by interest groups`

astroturf lobbying

Artificially making something viral

federal advisory committees

: giving guidance as congressman writes bill

Leadership PAC

Congress men create own packs to send $ to each other

More famous = bigger pack and ability to get $$$

Citizens United v. FEC:

Non profit dedicated to social cause spend as much $$$ want unless it isn't directly given to candidate/no communication

Anonymous = dark money→ where did it come from

issue network

Relationships among interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and the government agencies that share a common policy concern.

Fairness Doctrine

An FCC requirement that broadcasters who air programs on controversial issues provide time for opposing views

FCC v. Pacifica

Can use foul language after 10:00 under assumption children asleep

partisan journalism

Pick audience and content is directed to them

mis-information

-false information is shared, but no harm is meant

dis-information

created and shared by people with harmful intent

mal-information

based on fact but is presented out of context with the intent to mislead, harm, or manipulate

Signalling function

rely on media for what is important

agenda setting

Gov officials ability in inform public about policies

common-carrier function

Only way politicians can communicate with public → fractured media = collapse more and more people no longer trust it

Watchdog Function:

Media finding things (like things they sweep under the rug)

White house press core

Follow president everywhere he goes (less with trump)

Asking officials questions and give info back to public