American is based on the foundation of Democracy, giving the power to the people. “The Constitution’s framers structured the government so that Congress would be responsive to the needs and the will of the people. In representing their constituents, members of Congress provide an easily accessed point of contact for people to connect with their government and to have their voices heard” (Harrison, pg. 354). The question then lies, are the peoples voices really being heard? Congress generates its power from the media and the people. However, external and internal factors such as electoral processes, term limitations, and policy-making functions, all significantly impact these power sources. .
Print, radio, television, and the internet are …show more content…
303). The second political function of the media is to shape the development of policies. This happens by the media giving people information regarding potential policies and telling them how these are going to affect them and seeing what their reactions are to these policies, that way the government can take that feedback and use it when determining policy making decisions. The media has the power to bring societies attention to particular problems and to shape their opinions regarding these issues (Harrison, pg. 305). The third political function of the media is to “provide a forum for political conversations” (Harrison, pg. 303). Historically, this has been predominately done through sources such as talk radio and television, and other media outlets. However, recently the internet has opened up a whole new platform that allows people to communicate regarding political issues and views. The fourth and final function of the media is to “socialize children to the political culture” (Harrison, pg. 303). This means, that it is the media’s responsibility to reinforce the values that America is based off of. This includes reinforcing the concept of democracy, even toward the youth of the country, through popular television shows and other media …show more content…
The incumbency rate for House and Senate is over 90% every election year. This means that the chances of a loss for those running for reelection is almost inconceivable. The reasoning for this high incumbency rate is due to many advantages of the candidate. One advantage is the fact that they are widely known, they can promote all year long. They don 't promote the traditional way, in lieu of TV ads, they actually talk to their constituents and try to stay visible and widely known. They also take credit on things they did not do, but were involved in, this is called credit claiming. Another advantage that incumbents have is that most opponents who run against them tend to be weak and are not a risk. Finally, Incumbents have more money put towards their campaign thanks to Political Ad Campaigns (PACs) than their opponents, also giving them an unfair advantage. .“Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro condemned the influence of special interest groups and wealthy donors in politics. ‘We need to find another place that members of Congress can turn to finance their campaigns,” said Sarbanes, who has represented Maryland’s third district since 2007. ‘The voices of everyday citizens are being pushed to the margins of their own democracy’” (Yale News, 2015). This allows money to have a strong
Print, radio, television, and the internet are …show more content…
303). The second political function of the media is to shape the development of policies. This happens by the media giving people information regarding potential policies and telling them how these are going to affect them and seeing what their reactions are to these policies, that way the government can take that feedback and use it when determining policy making decisions. The media has the power to bring societies attention to particular problems and to shape their opinions regarding these issues (Harrison, pg. 305). The third political function of the media is to “provide a forum for political conversations” (Harrison, pg. 303). Historically, this has been predominately done through sources such as talk radio and television, and other media outlets. However, recently the internet has opened up a whole new platform that allows people to communicate regarding political issues and views. The fourth and final function of the media is to “socialize children to the political culture” (Harrison, pg. 303). This means, that it is the media’s responsibility to reinforce the values that America is based off of. This includes reinforcing the concept of democracy, even toward the youth of the country, through popular television shows and other media …show more content…
The incumbency rate for House and Senate is over 90% every election year. This means that the chances of a loss for those running for reelection is almost inconceivable. The reasoning for this high incumbency rate is due to many advantages of the candidate. One advantage is the fact that they are widely known, they can promote all year long. They don 't promote the traditional way, in lieu of TV ads, they actually talk to their constituents and try to stay visible and widely known. They also take credit on things they did not do, but were involved in, this is called credit claiming. Another advantage that incumbents have is that most opponents who run against them tend to be weak and are not a risk. Finally, Incumbents have more money put towards their campaign thanks to Political Ad Campaigns (PACs) than their opponents, also giving them an unfair advantage. .“Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro condemned the influence of special interest groups and wealthy donors in politics. ‘We need to find another place that members of Congress can turn to finance their campaigns,” said Sarbanes, who has represented Maryland’s third district since 2007. ‘The voices of everyday citizens are being pushed to the margins of their own democracy’” (Yale News, 2015). This allows money to have a strong