Government
Americans expect the Government to
Keep us safe and yet protect individual liberty and
privacy
Support the weakest and yet keep taxes low
Sustain a healthy environment and still promote
business growth
Keep government small, yet handle each crisis
quickly and effectively
Money that is automatically spent on programs like social security and Medicare
Mandatory spending $4.1 trillion - Entitlements (S.S., Medicare, Medicaid, child tax credits)
Income inequality
Difference in how much people make in a year between groups
Freedom of expression
First Amendment protections: Free speech, Press, Assembly and Petition
Mass Media
The collection of all forms of media that communicate information to the general public: TV, Print (Newspapers), radio, and internet
Americans interact with government by
Taxes
Deficit added up over time
Debt
Wealth inequality
Difference in total amount of money between groups
Freedom of Religion
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The creation of a narrative, or context, for a news story
Framing
Fewer than two-in-ten Americans say
they trust the government in Washington to do what is right “just about always” (1%) or “most of the time” (15%)
Money that government appropriates each year via legislation
Discretionary spending $1.7 trillion (Defense)
Government can address inequality by
Taxes
Increase strength of labor unions
Education
Regulate Wall Street
Caps on CEO income
Civil liberties
Limitations on government power, intended to protect freedoms upon which governments may not legally intrude
Government regulates the media by
The Federal Communications Commission:
Equal-time rule: registered candidates running for office must be given equal opportunities for airtime
Indecency Regulations: Limit indecent material and keep public airwaves free of obscene material
Republicans have more confidence in
Democrats have more confidence in
Republicans have more confidence in the supreme court, the military
Democrats have more confidence in the presidency, congress, and public schools
Money the government spends
Outlays
Inequality is bad
Low life expectancy
Obesity
Poor educational outcomes
Lack of social mobility
Concentrated political power
Civil liberties are different from civil rights, as civil rights are
those protection by government, or that government secures on behalf of its citizens.
Coverage that predisposes the viewer or reader to a particular perspective on a subject or issue
Priming
Inequality is good
Provides incentives to work
Rich can provide things for everyone
else
Should pay attention to quality of
living
FICA
Separate Payroll Tax of 7.65%
(pays for Social Security 6.2% and Medicare 1.45%)
Rising Income Inequality in the U.S. because
Top tax brackets lower
Decline of Unions
Executives and Wall Street ( top 1%)
Decline in minimum wage growth
Skill-biased technological change
Immigration
Test used to decide whether a law or other government action promotes a particular religious practice
Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)
American media has evolved through 3 periods
Party Press Era: Partisanship loyalty dominated choice of editorial content
Yellow Journalism: Printing newspapers became faster and less expensive – more tabloid-style paper w/ editorial pages, cartoons, and pictures
Muckraking in the Progressive Era: Writing/publishing of news coverage that exposed corrupt business and government practices