Public Opinion
• The ideas & attitudes people have about
candidates
• Influenced by age, gender, income, hobbies,
race, religion & occupation
• Mass media is a strong influence
• Politicians must be responsive to public
opinion if they are going to get reelected
Determining Public Opinion
 Public opinion polls– survey – most
accurate way to determine public opinion
 Pollsters – people trained to take polls &
measure public opinion
 Push Polls – used to push public opinion
one way or another
 Have loaded questions – biased to
get a certain response

Presidential Approval Rating

Gallup Poll
Media
• Print – newspapers, mailings, magazines
• Electronic – TV, radio, internet
• Main purpose – to keep us informed
• Independent media is most desirable
• Literacy is important
• Bias – one-sided point of view
Biased Media
• Fox – Republican biased news
• MSNBC – Democratic biased news
Interest Groups
• People attempting to influence government
with their shared views
• Pressure groups
• Functions:
– Bring issues to the public & lawmakers
– Support candidates who favor their goals
Types of Interest Groups
– Economic – most common
– Business organizations – interested in
trade
– Industrial & Trade – represent certain
types of business
– Labor Unions – rights of workers
– Professional Associations – represent
different professions
• Groups
– Ethnicity (NAACP)
– Age (AARP)
– Gender (NOW)
• Public – focus on specific causes (PETA)
• Can form PACs also
Ways Special Interest Groups Influence
Politics
• Election Activities – backing a candidate
• Lobbying – persuading officials
• Provide expert testimony or help write laws
in committees
• Go to court to fight a cause
• Fund elections
Lobbyists
• Lobby – try to get officials to support a
group’s goals
• Responsible for getting PAC money to the
right politicians
• Speak in congressional committees
Regulation
• Lobbyists can’t pay a candidates living
expenses
• Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act (1946)
– All lobbies must register with federal &
state governments & report all
expenditures
Propaganda
• Attempt to influence people with biased
information
• Always get both sides of a story from
reliable sources
• Good way to determine what a candidate
really supports is to see which PAC gives
them money for campaigning
Types of Propaganda
• Endorsements – famous or admirable
person supports a candidate
• Stacked Cards – presenting only 1 side of
the issue – distorting the facts
• Name-Calling – turning people against an
opponent by giving them an unpleasant
label or description
• Glittering Generality – statement that
sounds good but is meaningless
• Symbols – use and misuse of symbols
• Just Plain Folks – make people think that
the candidate is just like them
• Bandwagon – convincing people that
everyone else agrees with a certain
candidate