This lecture covers Chapter 6 of Barbara Bardes' American Government and Politics Today, focusing on political socialization and the media's role in shaping the U.S. electorate. The main purpose is to analyze how political socialization impacts the Madisonian model of government, exploring the interplay between public opinion, media influence, and democratic theory.
Political Socialization: Individuals acquire their political beliefs and attitudes through a complex process (political socialization) influenced by family, school, community, peers, and media. This process continues throughout life, with different agents of socialization holding varying levels of influence at different life stages.
Public Opinion & Its Characteristics: Public opinion, the expressed attitudes of the public, is analyzed through its distribution (mass, attentive, opinion makers), intensity, stability, fluidity, latency, and salience. Understanding these characteristics helps gauge public sentiment and its potential impact on policy.
Media's Role in Shaping Public Opinion: The media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion by setting the political agenda through selection and emphasis of news stories. It functions through surveillance, interpretation, and socialization, impacting the flow of information between the government and its citizens. However, media bias, propaganda techniques, and the pursuit of ratings can significantly influence how information is presented and interpreted.
Propaganda Techniques: The lecture identifies various propaganda techniques used in media to manipulate public opinion, including glittering generalities, name-calling, plain folks, euphemisms, bandwagon, red herrings, slippery slope, illogical predications, and fear appeals. Recognizing these techniques is essential for critical thinking and informed decision-making.
Madisonian Model & Its Interaction with Socialization & Media: The lecture analyzes how political socialization and media influence affect the Madisonian model (both substantively and procedurally). It examines whether public opinion polling enhances or detracts from the balance of power intended in the model, considering both the electorate's role and the influence of attentive publics and opinion makers.
