Public Interest Groups Definition
groups that organize to influence government to produce
collective goods or services that benefit the general public
Public Interest Groups Significance They are motivated by a view of the world that they believe
everyone should adopt, even if others disagree with their idea of right or wrong. Since public
groups work to benefit the public and not just supporters of their group, they are more
susceptible to the free rider problem.
Free Riders Defintion people who refuse to spend time, money, or effort on the collective
solution because they can reap the benefits whether they join or not
Free Riders Significance
can strain resources and lead to ineffectiveness
Direct Lobbying Definition interaction with public officials for the purpose of influencing
policy decisions, trying to convince them to act the way you want
Direct Lobbying Significance Can happen through Congress, the President/Executive branch, or
the courts. By bringing government attention to an issue and informing them of the issue, you
can change and influence policy. It is a direct way of informing government officials of the
change you want to see.
Open Primary Definition
a primary election in which eligible voters need not be registered
party members
Open Primary Significance A primary is an election that narrows down candidates in a
political party. This ensures that one candidate is picked that everyone agrees is good. Open
primary is significant because, since everyone can vote, the vote may be influenced by other
people such as the opposition party who purposefully vote for a bad candidate. It could also be
good to get a better idea of what the general public thinks, not just people in the party.
Valence Issue Definition
issues on which most voters and candidates share the same position
Valence Issue Significance everyone agrees on this issue so voters may use how different
parties approach the issue to decide how to vote. For example, everyone agrees that
unemployment is bad but how the different parties plan to implement different economic policies
to fix it can make the difference in how a person votes.
Commercial Bias Definition the tendency of the media to make coverage and programming
decisions based on what will attract a large audience and maximize profits
Commercial Bias Significance
Focused towards what will increase advertiser revenue and
audience views. Because people tune in to watch scandals, crime stories, and disasters, extensive
coverage of similar events appears relentlessly on the front pages of most newspapers and news
sites. Journalistic judgment and ethics are often at odds with the imperative to turn a profit. More
focused on making money than accurate knowledge.
News Management Definition
the efforts of a politician's staff to control news about the
politician
News Management Significance
to control how the public views the politician; wants to put
own issues on agenda, determine how the politician will be perceived, frame issues, supply
sources for reporters— all to put politicians in the best possible light. Spin the news to build up
politician and build narrative that media will repeat as fact. Politics has become a battle between
politicians to control the news that reaches general public.