WWS 500 Introduction to American Political Institutions

1. WWS 500Introduction to American Political Institutions Session 7 Non-state Policy Actors

2. Outline • Media • Voters • Parties • Interest Groups • Firms • Lobbying

3. The Media

4. Changing nature of media

5. Altered Media Environment • 1930-1960: Print media dominance • Mod-hi info among well educated • Very low-low among less well educated • 1960-1980: Low-choice Network TV period • Mod info across all education groups • 1980-Present: High-choice Cable Period • Very high info among small extreme groups • Mod-hi among well educated • Very low-low among less well educated • Emergence of Social Media • Too early to evaluate impact with certainty • Devastating Effects on local news

6. Implications … RESULT (speculative) • Pre-1960: Low, but probably uneven, awareness of politics … gives way to • 1960-1980: Even and somewhat higher awareness of politics … gives way to • Post-1980: Very uneven awareness – either very high and ideologically oriented or very low • Social media exacerbates this (?) • Plus, widespread demise of local newspapers covering state and local politics and DC reps

7. “Fox News Effect” • Cable news network (Rupert Murdoch) – very conservative and closely aligned with the Republican Party • Fear of single viewpoint “bubbles” • Mostly not true • Research is pretty consistent: most (but not all) people remain somewhat exposed to different viewpoints • A more ideological media has had some impact on politicians • Makes them more extreme

8. Media bias

9. It existsIt is demand driven A summary of current social science

12. Media Politics – Zaller Framework POLITICIANS Want independent voice Want to control media content JOURNALISTS Want sophisticated news Want infotainment CITIZENS

13. Goals • Policymakers/Politicians: Want media to get out their message – policy, re-election • Citizens: Generally uninterested in political news but want to be exposed to some but not a great deal of elite conflict • Its entertaining and interesting, up to the point it becomes uncomfortable • Journalists: Want to maximize their independent & distinctive “voice” in the news

14. You will see these conflicts played out everyday in the media Especially with respect to President Trump, and polarizing issues

15. Voters Information & Ideology

16. The American Voter

17. Also the American Voter

18. And Also

19. Information Levels

20. What Americans Know About Politics:Lessons from 70 Years of Social Science The MEAN is LOW but the VARIANCE is HIGH • Lots of “low infos,” a few “mavens” • Who is a “maven” depends on the issue

21. How Low is “LOW”? Really low

22. How Low is “LOW”? Recent Annenberg poll https://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/Civics-survey-appendix-09-17-14.pdf One-third can’t name a single branch of government 60%+ don’t know which party controls the House or Senate Three-fourths don’t know that it takes 2/3 in both chambers to over-ride a veto Many manymany more studies like this

23. How High is “HIGH”? Amazingly People in this building are weird

24. Why the low mean/high variance pattern? Benefits vs. Costs of information acquisition

25. For many people, political information is …. Useless and Boring

26. For a few Americans, political information is … Very Valuable or Fun/Engaging + Easy to get

27. The new media environment helps this division LOFOs can tune out entirely Mavens can get a tremendous amount of information very easily

28. A Disturbing Question … If this is the way voters are, can they control government? A hot topic of research in Political Science

29. Voter Ideology & Party Attachments

30. Party Identification

31. Easy way to remember About 1/3-1/3-1/3 with the numbers bumping around

32. However, with Leaners …

33. By Age

34. By Race

35. Racial Make Up of Party Members

36. Ideology Relative to MCs

37. Caveat … Many moderates aren’t really moderate, just confused Note that even in the general public, there are some really extreme people. Who do you think they are? Right! Hi info mavens who are passionate about politics

38. The Political Parties

39. Political parties used to be …

40. Boss Tweed (NYC) “MACHINES” A BUSINESS Corrupt Patronage Oriented Transactional Non-ideological

41. How They Worked

42. Who loses? Middle class, especially merchants, businessmen etc.

43. Growth of Middle Class led to Reform Big battles! Drove the machines out Civil Service limited patronage Welfare state eliminated service-for-vote Primaries replaced national conventions for selecting presidents

44. Then having won … The middle class went home

45. By the 1970s, Political parties were empty shells Waiting for new residents …

46. Who Arrived On the Left On the Right

47. The Parties are now controlled by ideological activists • They select candidates for Congress and the presidency (caveat!) • Without machine foot-soldiers, candidates are very reliant on the enthusiasm of activists -- who volunteer, help with turn-out, and vote in primaries • Moderates don’t do those things • The picture is pretty much the same across the country • This is a plausible explanation for Congressional polarization

48. Interest Groups

49. When government = $300/person and does little, stakes are small & stakeholders few

50. When government = $10,000/person and does an enormous amount, stakes are huge and stakeholders legion More like $18K per person if we include state and local government