Student Web Activites

Chapter 13: Political and Economic Institutions

"Politics and the Media"

Introduction
In this chapter you learned about various political and economic institutions around the world and about political power in American society. Like all other democracies today, the United States emphasizes political power through voting. Most attitudes and beliefs that are expressed as political opinions are gained through a learning process called political socialization. The major agents of this include the family, the mass media, and a person's level of education, economic status and occupation, and age and gender. Television is the leading source of political and public affairs information for most people. In this activity you will take a closer look at the role of the television media in elections.

Web sites
Media and the 2004 Election
Scroll down this Web site page and open the “Media and the 2004 Election” PDF file. Read through this document that includes an interview about the importance of the media in elections.

Public Policy and Political Socialization
How do the media influence their audience when it comes to political issues? Read through this article to see how you feel about the media's involvement.

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Activity
Imagine that you are running for governor of your state. Devise a campaign strategy that you think will help you win the election. What type of advertising will you use? When and where will you advertise? What do you think your ads should focus on? How will you respond to your opponent's advertisements? What is your budget? Write up a one-page strategy and present your ideas to the class.