Welcome back!

Feedback from last class NEXT TEST March 31 Phoenix Forum April 7

Connecting with government

the role of the media and political campaigns

What do you think…true/false?

Most Americans rely on tv for their major source of political information.

Spin doctors work for the media. Most tv coverage during an election is

on the issues, not the race. The rate of presidential press

conferences has increased since 1940.

Functions of the media

reporting and interpreting the news– media is privately owned: air/print stories

that have audience appeal media serves as a “watchdog”

– alert citizens to governmental abuse of power

In the news

Terri Schiavo case– Should Congress have intervened to allow

the case to be heard in federal court?– How does this case relate to federalism,

separation of powers, scope of congressional power?

Who controls the news?

media elected officials

Media control news

decisions to print/air stories are the gatekeepers

Freedom of press protections: prior restraint (censorship) is almost always unconstitutional

Elected officials control news

create news: staged events, press conferences, address public directly

play on the short time frame of most reporters

“spin doctors”• people who try to put the best “face” on a story

Video news release

Agencies create news segments to encourage public support

TV stations air segments as news Bush administration used more than

any other administration

Is reporting biased?

Yes, biased because of the conservative owners of media– Media conglomerates create lack of

competition Yes, biased because of reporters who

put a liberal spin on their stories

Non-ideological bias

report on the “horse-race”– focus on the race rather than the issues

pursuit of same story emphasis on character

Special role of television

TV is America’s place for news most trusted source for news television hypothesis

– people become confused rather than educated about politics by watching tv

why?

sound bites: 15-30 second “bits” of information

more attention paid to “happy talk” than political issues

Other reasons:

Little coverage of candidate positions Punditocracy more political ads than news coverage

$ spent on tv ads for Congress and Presidency over time

Structure of a campaign

General campaign Personal campaign Organizational campaign Media campaign

Media campaign

Paid (ads)

Positive or negative

Contrast

Inoculation

Free (news stories)

Elements of political ads

Candidate mythologies/ persona

Background location, props, clothing

Faces communicating emotion

Appeals to values

Music and background sounds

Film editing and camera use

Supers and “code words”

Some examples

Which ads are most effective? Least effective?

What elements are incorporated?

Negative campaigns

Are they effective? Yes and No– Can backfire

Are they detrimental to democracy?– Some scientists see demobilizing effect;

others do not– 2004 campaign and PACs/527

organizations

Thursday

PACs, campaign finance Interest groups

Writing option

Go to American Museum of the Moving Image and evaluate two campaign ads using the elements we discussed today

Due Thursday www.livingroomcandidate.org

Political Action Committees

separate legal entity that solicits contributions from its members for the purpose of donating $ to candidates

reason is to gain access

How PACs operate

direct contribution bundling of individual contributions independent expenditures

Features of PACs

PACs are increasing in number largest PACs are tied to business PACs donate to incumbents

Incumbency advantage

franking privilege name recognition credit claiming access to campaign resources

Campaign Finance

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) legalized Political Action Committees required disclosure of campaign

contributions enforces contribution limits

Disclosure requirements

all contributions over $200 must be reported by name and address

quarterly reports to FEC reports 10 days before and 30 days

after electio

Key provisions of Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act Bans soft money contributions ($500 million in 2000) Doubles to $2,000 the amount of regulated "hard

money" an individual can contribute to a federal campaign (max $95,000)

Prohibits groups from broadcasting ads that refer to a candidate within 60 days of a general election, and 30 days of a primary.  

Effective Nov. 6, 2002 a day after the congressional elections.  

Expenditure limits

Buckley v. Valeo (1976) key: not linked to campaign

(contribution v. expenditure) “issue advocacy” campaigns Exception: accept public funding

Public funding of presidential campaigns Pre-nomination: Must receive $5,000 in

20 states of contributions of $250 or less.

Matching funds in primary; nominees receive twice that amount for general campaign ($100 million)

Candidates can only spend $50,000 of own money

Soft money loophole*

1979 amendment to FECA donations to political parties for

organizational support not subject to contribution limits exploited by both parties

congressional districts

malapportionment– Baker v. Carr (1962)

reapportionment; redistricting gerrymandering majority-minority districts

– Shaw v. Reno (1993)

“Bottom line”

all legislative districts must contain equal population

gerrymandering is unconstitutional ONLY if it discriminates or significantly ignores community cohesiveness