Celebrities In America

In the United States, public policy is shaped by multiple factors, from average citizens voices in elections to interest groups and organizations. In their study, “Testing theories of American politics”, scholars Benjamin Page and Martin Gilens explore the impact of average citizens, the economic elite and interest groups have on the passage of public policy. Additionally through their, Page and Gilens(2014) have found “that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence” (Pg 535). This means that when it comes to the creation of public policies, rich people and groups

The United States has experienced fundamental changes that are dramatically detrimental to democracy. Voters’ ability to define political discourse has been so diminished that even decisive election results like Barack Obama’s in 2012 have little impact. That’s because powerful interests — freed to, in effect, buy elections, unhindered by downsized and diffused media that must rely on revenue from campaign ads — now set the rules of engagement. Lobbying involves working to bring pressure to bear on policy makers to gain favorable policy outcomes. In order to accomplish their goals, interest groups develop a strategy or plan of action and execute it through specific tactics. The particular strategies developed and the specific tactics used, however, vary widely both among and within political

Paul Loeb is the author of Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in Challenging Times. In 2008 Loeb founded the Campus Election Engagement Project, a national nonpartisan student engagement effort that helped 500 colleges and universities engage their students in the election. Paul Rogat Loeb has spent thirty-five years researching and writing about citizen responsibility and empowerment. This book, more so a handbook, enables anyone who desires to make a change in the environment around them, leading them to get involved in larger communities. The book acknowledges that “it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and to become

They suggested that political participation held more than instrumental value and offered a platform for the earning of the virtues and responsibilities that underpin democracy

It has become evident as one may either dive into the world of politics, or simply experience it on a daily basis, of the fact that money has tremendous power. Dating back to the early ages, many wars and disputes result from either power, or money, which still has relevance in today 's’ time. Money does not only control the land, but it also controls the masses, and essentially who holds the power. The 2016 election of Trump and Hilary is a great illustration of how money can can influence government turnouts, and how important the contribution of money has played for both candidates in campaign for the election.

Civic engagement is very important and must be actively fostered by citizens to have better control over the government and their communities, for a

The growing connection between politics and Hollywood has happened for a number of reasons, in a somewhat cyclical fashion. Politicians need Hollywood stars to support their campaigns because celebrities are useful in fundraising attempts and recognition. They have the advantages of fame, wealth, and can easily command press attention. In return, celebrities endorse candidates whose policies are beneficial to their industry. For example, while Clinton was in office he argued for “industry self-regulation and a television rating system, as opposed to formal government regulation” (Ormand and West 38). For this and other reasons, Hollywood stars donated large sums of money to Democratic candidates in return. In 2000, Hollywood contributed $20 million to Democrats as opposed to the $13 million that was contributed to the less Hollywood-friendly Republican party (Ormand and West 40).

Citizen participation in the government is not a right given to all citizens worldwide. The model of democracy is often taken for granted by Americans, but the ability to elect government officials and voice opinions on government initiatives and referenda is an incredible opportunity in the United States of America. We, as citizens, have an ability to ignite change, reform the government, and build a country that we believe in and are proud of. Therefore, the right to vote should not be taken lightly. All people afforded this right should take full advantage of the opportunity and truly invest in the government. Political participation depends on multiple factors, one of the most influential being socioeconomic status.

A group of people subject to continuous glamour and publicity has taken the spotlight, creating the American world of the “celebrity”. “It does not seem to matter what the man is the very best at; so long as he has won out in competition over all others, he is celebrated” (P. 74). Celebration is the basis of their existence. Propagated by the mass media, they have become part of the national prestige—shadow of money and power. This competition for attention is joined

The author researches and concludes that most celebrities are liberal based the census data of each state in the elections along with other polling data. The article states that “acting is primarily a blue-state occupation” and that “Fifty-seven percent of working actors live in California or New York”. California and New York turned out to be States that voted mostly for the Democratic party, which is known to be mostly liberal. Many actors and other celebrities went onto public platforms to share their views on who they would vote for in the 2016 elections and donated millions to the Democratic party. Symbolic interactionism takes its role when the public reactions and opinions change based on what the celebrities think and say and vice versa.

The recently concluded national election cycle was defined by frenzied campaigning and feverish advertising blitzes that lasted for more than a year, as American citizens were once again charged with the enormous task of voting for their next leadership class. What began with our forefather's modest experiment in democratic governance, built upon a foundation of informed citizenry selecting candidates who best represented shared values on the relevant issues of the day, has since become slowly distorted by the pernicious influence of corporatized campaign funding. The American political apparatus has traditionally been the arena of the affluent, because "like almost every pursuit in this free-enterprise country, political campaigning is a business … and, as in many businesses, success often goes not to the entrepreneur who brings a product to market first but to the one who exploits it best" (McManus, 2010). While candidates on the local, state and federal level have always been beholden to major donors, modern elections were forever transformed from contests of relative merit to proverbial spending sprees after the notorious decision delivered by the Supreme Court in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

Although American citizens have many responsibilities of their own, it’s important to engage ourselves in our nation’s politics. Being active and aware about what’s going on regarding current political news, helps citizens decide what should be done in their community. Declining political participation damages

American politics has been in the public eye for as long as the country has been in existence, but it became more prominent and democratic in the early 1900s with the advent of mass media devices. Celebrities and famous faces have found themselves entangled within the mess that is politics as a result. A major research question that is a rising investigation is how celebrity involvement sways voters to vote for a certain candidate. The following points satisfy Baglione’s five points: interest, importance, shortness, directness, and doability. Celebrities have become more relevant in recent years with the advancement of social networking. With social media on the rise, and celebrities already a major influence on these networks, celebrity backing

On balance, the evidence suggests that participation in politics is important for many reasons. In the 21st century it is increasingly important fr people to to participate and encourage change.

Historically, there have been countless numbers of celebrities that have run for public office. Some, such as Fred Thompson and Ronald Reagan, were favorable by the majority of voters, while others, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Donald Trump, tended to be split fifty-fifty or less. The repetition of celebrities running for office poses the same questions every election term: should celebrities put themselves into politics? What implications will this have on the American government, whether national or state level? Some would claim that it is their constitutional right to involve themselves, while others scoff at the mere idea of a celebrity president or senator, claiming that there is no way that someone with such a large fan base is able to run fairly and make decisions for the benefit of their country and not themselves, thus being perfect recipe for a dictatorship-like government. These statements and questions have been posed for decades, nearly every election term. Although celebrities do have the constitutional right to run for office, be elected into office, and give their opinions and endorsements to politicians, they should be carefully considered by electoral colleges, party leaders, and, more importantly, voters as to whether they are qualified to run, have the intent to lead with integrity, and if their political opinions have any merit, based solely on their academic and career background in politics.