Understanding Symbolic Power in US Presidential Campaigns - Prof. Robert E. Denton, Study notes of Political Science

Download Understanding Symbolic Power in US Presidential Campaigns - Prof. Robert E. Denton and more Study notes Political Science in PDF only on Docsity! Jacob Guertin PSCI 3244 Political Communication in America Chapter 1 -One must recognize that politics are inescapable! -General Characteristics of Political Communication -Short Term Orientation -public discussion in limited and specific timeframes and comprised of rather distinct campaigns and specific initiatives -Communication based on Objectives -Political Comm. As “purposeful communication about politics” -Purposeful communication is directive, persuasive communication designed to alter a belief, attitude, value, or lead to some action -Importance of Mass Media -Political communication is largely mediated -Watchdog role/adversary function of Media over politics -Political press “controls” as well as reports -provides framework for political actions/occurrences -Politics as Audience-Centered -Political messages are not neutral -Political comm. is seen as a practical, process-centered, decision-oriented activity -Political Comm. Is a process, it is strategic, and is unique in context -The Four Concerns of Political Communication -Revenues-public resources -discourse on the power to spend -“protracted negotiations over the allocation of scarce resources are common in every society” -Control -decision to hand over the power to act as trustees of “the public interest” To elected officials -Sanctions -initiated as governmental actions to legislate or enforce, which require the compliance of certain segments within the population -Meaning -differing perspectives attribute varying weights of comprehension and Justification -The Manifest and Latent Functions of Political Discourse Manifest -objectives that are intended to achieve clearly understood ends -“discount” of actions to focus on concealed or unconscious motives -similar to Freudian ideas -Latent -older and broader tradition -focus on the “formal and official” functions of discourse Language and Politics -Communication, Society and Social Order -At the heart of our perspective of government and politics is the notion of interaction -Interaction -orientation for viewing human behavior and ultimately society -Is a process -Action, perception, interpretation, reacting -Largely Symbolic -Human interaction is the core of existence -Interaction produces behavior, is not a result of it -Symbols -human behavior is carried on through symbols and their attached meanings -Humans are uniquely symbolic -Social Reality -reality is a social product produced by communication/interaction -therefore, reality is limited, specific and circumscribed -The construction of reality is an active process -recognition, definition, interpretation, action, and validation through interaction -humans are in a perpetual state of behavior orientation with a direct correlation to the behavior of others -Society -dynamic, changing -self control is inseparable from social control -adherence to rules is the price to pay for membership of a society -Language and Politics -Three Criteria for Judging impact of governmental activity on society -scope of government activity -how many affected? -intensity of action -how much importance is attached? -frequency of impact -how often or how long are people affected? -Political Settings -setting creates the perspective from which citizens will act -settings condition political acts -governments need to create appropriate political settings that legitimize a set of values -create or define a reality for others -stimulation of others to act voluntarily is key -moves beyond creating desired behavior to creating commitment and Belief in institutions and government -Political Symbols -Expression -Power -Drama Presidential Campaigns -Channels of Campaign Communication -public appearances -interpersonal -organizational-party machines, workers -Auditory Media -display media -print media -television -Elements of a communication model of a Presidential Campaign -The Keys to a Presidential Campaign -Strategic Environment -includes: -voters, interest groups, political parties, finances, control of info, television, and incumbency status -elements -candidate status, qualifications, media market, and national trends -Areas of Concern -Political -Social-social issues, issues created by candidates, unforeseen events, partisan structure of race -Finance -money is the lifeblood of politics -considerations -where/how to obtain funding -how to allocate funds -how to insure compliance with funding regulations -money most critical early when candidate has little recognition -needed for: -paying consultants, conducting polls, travel expenses -Public Opinion Polls -allow candidates to identify issues -tailor image -target opponents’ weaknesses -allocate resources -influence media strategy -POLLS DRAMATICALLY IMPACT ELECTION COVERAGE -Image -voters persuaded by cognitive responses to images that to messages themselves -influences -partisanship -issues -candidate attributes -more that political orientation or issue position -includes -personality -dress -character-increasingly influential -lifestyle -individual over issue -Media -principle means of conducting presidential campaigns -“going public”-increasing role of media over party -organizations plan with a view toward media interpretation of events -set agendas and define candidate images -Organization -Both internal and external -Internal -consists of advisors and strategists -core group -candidate’s confidants -strategy group -make basic decisions about campaign -External -becoming less essential due to role of media -Communication Model of Presidential Campaigns -Surfacing Phase -candidates must achieve visibility; establish credibility (“fitness”), and begin to build a viable organization -Most important elements of phase -finance -polls -organization -focuses on emerging and announcing candidacy -establish view of candidate as “presidential timber”/”statesman” -Primary Phase -has changed the most over time -Dominant Elements -media-gatekeepers of access to the public, impact polls -strategic environment -campaign organization -candidates more concerned with image than issues in media -Convention Phase -provide legitimization of nomination process and nominees -provide opportunity for party to show unity and show ideals -let candidates share social agenda and issue positions -dominant elements -organization -maximum control of event necessary -media -General Election Phase -dominant elements -SE -Media -Organization -maintenance of issue positions and image essential -two ways to reach voters -news coverage -paid media -Campaigns -Role of Marketing The Media of Politics -Media and Politics: Traps and Clarifications -Politics in the Larger Media Universe -Media-the news and entertainment industries large and small -Politics accounts for only a percentage of media -Media is a business, with objective and motivations that affect content -Media and the Limits of What We Know About Politics -Participants of political culture rarely witnessed first had -typically actions reconstructed by intermediaries -Politics invites narration, interpretation and summation -News as less than a comprehensive mirror, more an interpretation -less about info, more about stories of key actors -News provides window into "defining moments" -The Shared Rhetorical Nature of Politics and Press -Both: -attribute motives -explain nontanglibles to form rationales for action -must please audiences with reconstructions of attitudes & events that are inexact -Uses communication to give order in a disordered world -Media and Pluralism -In mentioning media sources it is important to specify: