Discuss the relationship that exists between the media and the government.
What will be an ideal response?
The ideal answer should include:
1. The media, while being a watchdog, are also used by government officials to influence their constituency. For campaigning politicians, the media are both opportunity and adversary. Two-thirds of the money in presidential races goes to advertising. Candidates live and die by media coverage. In fact, some events (dubbed pseudo-events) are organized just to be covered by the media.
2. Government officials sometimes go as far as pressuring the media. Presidents try to get on the good side of the media by giving favored reporters exclusive "leaks" of information and by controlling information going to the public. Press conferences have been used by presidents since Theodore Roosevelt to give the media direct contact with the chief executive. Such conferences can allow presidents to present their views directly to the public.
3. Politicians, especially presidents, pay attention to their media image. They will work with experts on perfecting their image and using it to their advantage. Their success at "going public" will depend on many factors, such as their style, their relationship with the media, and their charisma.
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Discuss the problem-definition and agenda-setting stages of policy making. What are the factors that shape how a problem may be defined? Discuss an example of a public problem that has been framed in varying ways by opposing groups. Second, the authors state, “the mere existence of a problem is no guarantee that it will attract government attention.” What facilitates the movement of certain issues onto the agenda?
What will be an ideal response?
Which of the following statements is inaccurate regarding the practice of gerrymandering?
a. Racial gerrymandering creates majority-minority districts. b. Partisan gerrymandering aims to dismantle opposition party districts. c. Incumbent gerrymandering protects an incumbent’s reelection prospects. d. The Supreme Court has declared partisan redistricting to be inherently unconstitutional.