Shaping Public Opinion
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The opinions of the people can influence the gov’t
Elected official ignores the people = no reelection
There are very few issues, though, on which all
Americans can agree
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Public Opinion – the total of the opinions held
concerning a particular issue
 Opinions are shaped by many factors:
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2.
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5.
Family
Friends
Ideas
Teachers
Clubs
Most information to form our opinions comes from
mass media
 Mass media – forms of communication that transmit
information to large numbers of people
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 Books, magazines, tv, Internet, film, etc.
Much of this information is biased (one-sided)
Effective citizens think critically and determine the
difference between fact/fiction and bias/non-partisan
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Propaganda – Ideas that are spread to influence
people
CONCEALED PROPAGANDA
REVEALED PROPAGANDA
Presented as fact and its
sources are kept secret
 Used to fool people w/out
their knowledge
 Ex) Many political
advertisements
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More common
Makes you aware you are
trying to be influenced
 TV and radio commercials
 Political commercials have
to say that they are paid
advertisements
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6 Techniques:
a) Testimonials
b) Bandwagon
c) Name Calling
d) Glittering Generalities
e) Plain-Folks Appeal
f) Card Stacking
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Candidates seek endorsements from famous people
 Ex) Chris Rock endorses Barack Obama
Law states that any endorsement must be the
celebrity’s honest opinion

If you say something often enough and loud
enough, people will believe it
 Everybody else is doing it, why shouldn’t you?
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Using an unpleasant label or description to harm a
person, group, or product
 You must be able to determine whether a statement
is fact or opinion
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Uses words or vague statements that sound good,
but have little real meaning
 Uses words like freedom and patriotism, which give
positive feelings to people and hide the actual
statements
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Candidate tries to portray himself/herself as a plain
hardworking citizen
 Tries to identify with the common worker
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Uses facts that support only one side of a particular
candidate
 Stacks the cards against the truth
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 Ex) Newspaper gives front page headline to the candidate it
supports, but does not even mention the other candidate
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Poll – A survey that measures public opinion
 Finds out what people think about issues, politicians, and
policies
 Try to get a fair sample…people of different ages, races,
genders, backgrounds, etc.
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Livingroom Candidate