Who Holds The Most Influence Over The Election Process?

Television has been influential in United States presidential elections since the 1960’s. But just what is this influence, and how has it affected who is elected? Has it made elections fairer and more accessible, or has it moved candidates from pursuing issues to pursuing image? The media only impacts the American Society, especially for the presidential election as it increases the talks in politics and gives the president a higher role to follow. The television race captures more popularity than what a citizen is actually voting for.

The American Electoral College is the most confusing part of the American government. In addition, Kenneth Davis, author of Don’t Know Much About History, noted, “Grown men turn weak and stammer when asked who makes up the Electoral College.” However, there will be an effort to clear this enigma up for those who “turn weak and stammer” (2011, p. 653). America’s election system is important because their citizens need to know what they are doing on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The Electoral College has an interesting structure, procedure, and history, while also serving America well.

The Electoral College was established with the best of intentions of representing the American people; however, over time, this antiquated system has failed the American people. The people of the United States deserve better as the Electoral College is no longer a representation of the nation’s voices and concerns. Instead, the political machine has corrupted this deep-rooted system with each modification. The way the people of the United States elect the President and Vice President, requires an update for this timeworn democratic process.

The 2000 presidential election was a major eye opener for many people. As it appeared to also be the dismay of many, the candidate who won the most popular votes nationwide actually lost the contest. In the election's risen moment, popular attention centered around the Electoral College and its role in the presidential election. Under the U.S. Constitution, the people did not necessarily direct vote for the President in a nationwide election; rather, the people in each state would vote for electors from that state, who in turn would cast the constitutionally decisive votes for President and Vice President. Moreover, not only is the people's influence indirect, the Electoral College's voting pattern does not necessarily track the national popular

The article begins by explaining the main purpose for the research inquiry. If this recent election has proven anything, it is that there is vast wealth of election coverage. Citizens can now access political information, and news coverage from almost anywhere through a variety of mediums. This increased access has opened a new dimension. Partisan media effects have been researched in the past. However, this article points out that there is a lack of inquiry on the timing of partisan media influence during the election cycle.

The aim of this paper is to look at the relationship between the mass media, specifically television, and presidential elections. This paper will focus on the function of television in presidential elections through three main areas: exit polls, presidential debates, and spots. The focus is on television for three reasons. First, television reaches more voters than any other medium. Second, television attracts the greatest part of presidential campaign budgets. Third, television provides the candidates a good opportunity to contact the people directly. A second main theme of this paper is the role of television in presidential elections in terms of representative democracy in the United States.

“Elected officials and candidates for office, especially Republicans, bemoan how the media impedes their ability to effectively govern or conduct a campaign. Bob Dole, for example, argued in 1996 that his presidential campaign against Bill Clinton was stumbling because of the news media’s leftward tendencies, particularly those of the New York Times (Kurtz,

Although within the United States democratic system, government officials are elected by the people, many of the political decisions are made by the smaller group

In the article “Hype Versus Substance in Network Television Coverage of Presidential Election Campaigns”, authors Julia R. Fox, James R. Angelini, and Christopher Goble analyze political coverage on broadcast news during the final weeks of presidential elections. In the end they found that in the final weeks of campaigns many voters are still undecided. “Voters making up their minds at the end of the campaign tend to be less partisan and more likely to use-and to be influenced by-media messages in making their decision ” (Fox, J., Angelini, J., & Goble, C). This tends to be enough to cause a last minute “swing” in an election. With this being said the authors also found that these broadcast news stations very rarely address the critical

Since the United States of America were first established, the news media has had a large and important role in influencing the people. Even during the American Revolution, the press helped to shape the public opinion in favor of the patriotic agenda through newspapers and pamphlets. In the Early Republic, Broadsides became popular with the people and, in the Jacksonian Era, a more voters inclusive press, the “penny press”, and the Associated Press, using a new technology known as the telegraph, rose in popularity. But, more events along the way saw to the growth of the news media as we know it today.

The United States election system operates under a political context. Every policy that shapes the economic outcome of a people has the effect of being politically manipulated. Through out this passage I will introduce you to the cause and effects of the way our election system is set up. American elections are design to provide democracy to the people. However, this democracy is often questioned by the counter attacks that is brought forth by certain elements that at times seems to be self created. Political theories suggest that elections are inspired by the need of one to control and manage resources. This plays heavily on the perception of the public as the essential need of survival is predicated on the performance of political

Many people don’t understand the influence that the media and social has on the outcome of an election. As a result our decision making for the candidate can be compromised at

The election process in the United States is very complex and has many different influences that affect this process tremendously. The United States greatly depends on political parties, interest groups, and media in the election process.

Media plays a big role in presidential elections. One of the biggest incidences occurred in the election of 1960 with President Kennedy and Richard Nixon. President Kennedy won the heart of TV audiences with his youth, good looks, charm. VP Richard Nixon on the other hand was said to look uncomfortable and not confident. ews reporting, however, has become less objective; whole networks are dedicated to more conservative or more liberal parties. Newspapers and magazines support a particular candidate, and their reporting often favor that particular candidate. The pictures used, the questions asked, and the stories chosen for reporting all play a role in affecting the way

The media’s power in influencing public opinion has sparked the theory that we now know as agenda setting. In 1922 this concept was first investigated by newspaper columnist Walter Lippman (Wahl-Jorgensen and Hanitzsch, 2009, pp.147). Since then Drs. Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw have coined what we now know as the agenda setting theory. Their research of the 1968 presidential election of the Republican nominee Richard Nixon and the Democratic nominee Hubert Humphrey proved groundbreaking.