Mass Media & Policymaking Study Guide

FCC

Independent (regulatory) agency that regulates the communication by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. They have jurisdiction over area of broadband access, fair competition, radio frequency use, media responsibility, public safety, and homeland security.

Three categories of regulation:
- Technical regulations - licensing
- Structural regulations - ownership/competition
- Content regulations - Indecency rules & other violations; Equal Time Rule for elections.

Libel

Writing that falsely injures another person.

Bully Pulpit

The president's use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American People.

Candidate Centered Campaigns

Election campaigns and other political processes in which candidates, not political parties, have most of the initiative and influence.

Scorekeeper

The role played by the national media in keeping track of and helping make political reputations.

Prior Restraint

Censorship of a publication.

Slander

The action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation.

Adversarial Press

The tendency of the national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them.

Gatekeeper

A team member who keeps abreast of current developments and provides the team with relevant information.

Agenda Setter

Tv news influences the standards by which government, presidents, policies and candidates are judged.

Shield Laws

Laws passed by state legislatures that are designed to protect reporters from being forced to reveal their news sources.

Equal Time Rule

An FCC rule that if a broadcaster sells time to one candidate, it must sell equal time to other candidates.

Sensationalism

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

Watchdog

The role played by the national media in investigating political personalities and exposing scandals.

Costs

A burden that people believe they must bear if a policy is adopted.

Benefits

A satisfaction that people believe they will enjoy if a policy is adopted.

Means tested (Programs)*

An income qualification program that determines whether one is eligible for benefits under government programs reserved for lower-income groups. An eligibility requirement for participation in a welfare program in which aid is conditioned on proving need.

Insurance ("contributory") Programs*

A self-financing government program based on contributions that provide benefits to unemployed or retired persons. Plan that emerged from Franklin Roosevelt's Cabinet Committee on Economic Security that called for insurance for the unemployed and elderly, to which workers would contribute and from which they would benefit when unemployed or retired.

Assistance (noncontributory) Programs*

A government program financed by general income taxes that provide benefits to poor citizens without requiring contribution from them. A plan emerged from Franklin Roosevelt's Cabinet Committee on Economic Security that called for aid to dependent children, the blind, and the aged.

Worldviews

A comprehensive opinion of how the United States should respond to world problems.

Human Rights

The view that we should try to improve the lives of people in other countries.

Pre-emption

When the federal government overrides or preempts state or local laws in certain areas

Containment

The belief that the United States should resist the expansion of aggressive nations, especially the former Soviet Union.

Unilateralism

A philosophy that encourages individual nations to act on their own when facing threats from other nations.

Multilateralism

A philosophy that encourages individual nations tacked together to solve international problems.

Diplomacy

The practice of conducting negotiations between countries

Summit

A gathering of heads of state or other high-ranking officials to discuss matters of great importance to their countries

Technical Assistance

The practice of sending experts in such areas as agriculture, engineering, or business to aid other nations.

Economic Aid

Assistance to other nations in the form of grants, loans, or credits to buy the assisting nation's products.

Sanctions

Restrictions intended to enforce international law

Political Coercion

The last resort before military action, We will break diplomatic ties, sanction, restrict tourist and business relations in order to persuade a country to do what we want.

Military Intervention

Military action undertaken in order to change what is happening or might happen in another country

Covert Operations

Secret foreign policy actions intended to promote American interests abroad; can include assassination, the overthrow of foreign governments, and tampering with elections.

Monroe Doctrine

A statement of foreign policy which proclaimed that Europe should not interfere in affairs within the United States or in the development of other countries in the Western Hemisphere. "Sphere of Influence"

Truman Doctrine

President Truman's policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology. "Containment" (Cold War)

Reagan Doctrine

The Reagan administration's commitment to ending communism by providing military assistance to anti-communist groups. "roll back/ destroy" (Cold War)

Clinton Doctrine

American military intervention may be used to stop ethnic/religious genocide; US has responsibility to intervene in other countries' affairs in order to fight for the cause of freedom, peace, security, prosperity, and democracy. "Interventionism, Human rights, materialism"

Bush Doctrine

A policy adopted by the Bush administration in 2001 that asserts America's right to attack any nation that has weapons of mass destruction that might be used against U.S. interests at home or abroad. "pre-emption, regime change, unitarinsim"

Trump Doctrine

Focused on an "America first" approach regarding war and international involvement. (1st nationalist)

Military Industrial Complex

An alleged alliance between military leaders and corporate leaders.

Guns Vs. Butter Debate

Dividing the national budget divides public opinion. One ideology may favor larger military (more guns) and a smaller social benefits scheme (less butter), while another may propose a smaller military and larger social benefits program. With limited resources, government cannot have both more guns and more butter. Must choose.

The Policy Agenda

A set of issues and problems that policy makers consider important. The mass media play an important role in influencing the issues which receive public attention.

Policy Mechanism

Agenda Setting - Policy Formulation - Policy Adoption - Policy Implementation - Policy Evaluation (Restart)

Freedom of Information Act 1966

Provides a system for the public to obtain government records, as long as they do not invade individuals' privacy, reveal trade secrets, or endanger military security.

Official Secrets Act (UK)

Prohibits past/present public officials from leaking information to the press.

National Security Act 1947

Passed in 1947 in response to perceived threats from the Soviet Union after WWII. It established the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and National Security Council.

War Powers Act 1973

Gave any president the power to go to war under certain circumstances, but required that he could only do so for 90 days before being required to officially bring the matter before Congress.

Earned Income Cash Credit*

A cash grant to poor parents who are working.

Acid Rain*

Rain, snow, or dust particles containing sulfuric acid which falls onto land. One source is from burning fuel and it is most critical in the midwestern and Great Lakes region. It is blamed for killing the forrest and changing rivers.

Bubble Standard*

An incentive devised by the EPA and refers to the Toal amount of air pollution which can come from a given factory. The company may decide how to meet those standards.

Environmental Impact Statement*

A document that the NEPA requiring federal agencies to prepare evaluating the consequences of any proposal activity that would "significantly" affect the quality of the human environment.

Offsets*

An incentive devised by the EPA to replace some rule. Them regarding if someones wants to buy a plant in a polluted air area, it must generate a offset to reduce the pollution of the other source.

Pollution Allowances or Banks*

An incentive by the EPA that if a company reduces its polluting emissions by more than the law requires, it can use these reductions to cover a future plant expansion or sell them to another company.

Income Strategy*

The rationale behind the type of welfare program which involves giving people direct financial assistance rather than services. Usually has little popular support.

Service Strategy*

The rationale behind the type of welfare program which helps poor people through job training or government jobs rather than giving them direct financial assistance.

Command and Control Strategy*

An approach to achieving environmental goals which relies on issuing rules and enforcing them in court. It falsely assumes that rule-makers and rule-enforcers know how to achieve the greatest environmental gain at the least cost.

Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)

A component of the original Social Security Act which provided financial assistance to families with children.

Medicare Act of 1965

One of the major federal government's major welfare programs, focusing on health care. Covers hospital expenses and doctors' bills of the aged, then covers medical assistance over the poor.

Social Security Act of 1935

First Major Welfare program passed due to the Great Depression. It called the programs for unemployed and elderly and secondly an assistance program for dependent children, the blind, and the aged.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Once called "Aid to Families with Dependent Children," the new name for public assistance to needy families.

Clean Air Act

Imposed tough restrictions on the amount of pollutants emitted by automobile tail pipes. A second provision required sates to develop land use and transportation rules to help attain air quality standards. Got more sticker over time.

Earth Day

National event that signifies the birth of the environmental movement and has since been observed annually. It generated much publicity.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The federal agency responsible for administering pollution and environmental programs.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Required federal agencies to prepare environmental impact settlements before undertaking activities that will "Significantly" affect the quality of the human environment. Only requires a statement.

Scrubber

A complicated and expensive device that removes sulfurous fumes from gas before it leaves a smokestack. It is a means of addressing acid rain.

Water Quality Improvement Act

Made oil companies liable for up to $14 million in clean-up cost for oil spills. It was enacted even tougher standards and deadlines.

Wilson Policy Type: Majoritarian Politics (Most Pay & Most Benefit)

- Social Security
- Progressive Income Tax
- Labor laws
- Foreign Aid/Embargoes
- Food Inspection
- Natural Disasters
- Terrorist Attacks
- War on Terrorism
- Tax Breaks on Homeowners
- Tackling Climate Change

Wilson Policy Type: Client Politics (Most Pay & Little Benefit)

- Subsidies to Farmers
- Natural Disasters
- TANF
- WIC
- Terrorist Attacks
- War on Terrorism

Wilson Policy Type: Entrepreneurial Politics (Little Pay & Most Benefit)

- Foreign Aid/ Embargoes
- Natural Disasters
- Terrorist Attacks
- War of Terrorism

Wilson Policy Type: Interest Group Politics (Little Pay & Little Benefit)

- Antitrust Laws
- Foreign Aid/Embargoes
- Alliances
- Iron Triangle Relationships
- Natural Disasters
- Weapon Procurement
- Terrorist Attacks
- War on Terrorism
- NATO
- Tackling Climate Change
- Tariffs

Ripley/Franklin Policy Type: Distributive (Promote Private Activities beneficial to society)

- Foreign Aid
- Tax Breaks to Homeowners

Ripley/Franklin Policy Type: Protective Regulatory (Protect Public from Private Activities)

- Embargoes
- Food Inspection
- Labor Laws
- Natural Disaster
- Tackling Climate Change
- Tariffs

Ripley/Franklin Policy Type: Redistributive (Policies that shift Wealth)

- Social Security
- Foreign Aid
- Subsidies to Farmers
- Progressive Income Tax
- TANF
- WIC
- Tackling Climate Change

Ripley/Franklin Policy Type: Structural (Deal with acquiring military material & organizations of the Military)

- Antitrust Laws
- Natural Disaster
- Tackling Climate Change

Ripley/Franklin Policy Type: Strategic (Establish Foreign & Defense Positions of the nation)

- Embargoes
- Alliances
- Iron Triangle Relationships
- Weapons Procurement
- Terrorist Attacks
- War on terrorism
- NATO
- Tackling Climate Change

Ripley/Franklin Policy Type: Crisis (Short Term Responses to immediate national problems)

- Natural Disaster
- Terrorist Attacks