Oklahoma State University – Oklahoma City
American Government POLS1113-20470
Lecture Notes
Spring 2022
Lecture Notes #6
Contents: cover materials in Chapter 6 – The Politics of Public Opinion
American Government
Lecture Notes #6
Public opinion gives the people power over any adversities. History provides us with many examples of
this type of power of the people. For example, if Candidate X once voted on a bill that raised income
taxes on the middle class, a framing headline would read "Candidate X Doesn't Care About the Middle
Class." Candidate X is in a negative frame to the newsreader. Social desirability is another crucial
component to the formation of public opinion.
"Political opinion" refers to a broad category of attitudes that people might have on matters that
concern their state, government, or society. ... Such imputed political opinions could form a basis for
political persecution and thus asylum.
The distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues is an excellent example of the
power of the people. Public opinion constrains the actions of the government. Political participation in
the government is an essential component.
The relationship between politics and the mass media is closely related because media shapes public
opinion and political beliefs. As a result, political figures and parties are compassionate towards their
media presence and the media coverage of their public appearances. Beyond the simple left-right
analysis, liberalism, conservatism, libertarianism, and populism are the four most common ideologies in
the United States, apart from those who identify as moderate. Individuals embrace each ideology to
widely varying extents.
One may ask, how does the media play a role in politics? In answering this question, one must establish
a communication platform such as social media is persuasive and often works to change or influence
opinions regarding political views because of the abundance of ideas, thoughts, and opinions circulating
through the social media platform.
In politics, campaign advertising uses an advertising campaign through the media to influence a political
debate, and ultimately, voters. Political consultants and political campaign staff design these ads. Many
countries restrict the use of broadcast media to broadcast political messaging.
How do politicians most use the media to win elections and perform better as policymakers? They use
the media to share their ideas and sell their political messages and pictures to voters. Which best
describes why candidates and politicians use the Internet? They must use the same media that citizens
use.
