POLS 1000
Worksheet: The Role of Public Opinion, Pt. 2
Instructions. Please follow the guidelines used for all other worksheet assignments. This worksheet covers the second part of Chapter 5, pp. 122-131
- In the section, “Trying to shape opinion on economic policies,” Domhoff points out that opinion-shaping efforts by elites have largely failed. Yet, according to Domhoff, this doesn’t have much impact when it comes to economic policies. That is, the public’s opinion on economic issues is largely ignored. What reason does Domhoff give?
| Public opinion on economic issues is largely ignored according to Domhoff, and this is because of the nature of the American political parties, which makes it impossible to influence policy through the electoral process. |
- (A) According to Domhoff, what role do “social issues” (e.g., abortion, religious freedom, LGBTQ rights, racial discrimination) in American (electoral) politics? (B) What do you think about the points that Domhoff makes in this section? (Obviously, this is an opinion question, but I would like for you to take it seriously, to receive full credit for your response.)
| A. The highlighted social issues play an important role in American Campaigns where various contestants use them in framing their manifestos. These issues are the basis for the battle between the democrats and the republicans due to the fact that the liberals support progressive change on all of them, while the social conservatives pose resistance on all of them. |
| B. I think the point that Domhoff makes in this section is that social issues are important in the American campaigns, as it is used as a criterion for the selection of an electoral candidate depending on the preferences of the citizens over these issues. |
- (A) Does Domhoff portray the mass media as purely a tool of the power elite? (Make sure you read through the entire section before answering.) (B) What do you think about the role the mass media play? (Another opinion question, but I want you to put serious thought into your response).
| A. Domhoff portrays the mass media as purely a tool of the power elite. This claim can be supported where he indicates that it is the members of the upper class who own the various media houses, and these owners have interlocks with other large corporations that are represented by the power elites. |
| B. The media plays the role of shaping policy by representing the interests of the upper class and corporates while ignoring public opinion. This platform focuses on amplifying the interests of the people who have the power to access them, and this includes government officials, policy-planning experts, along with the corporate leaders. |
- Throughout the chapter, Domhoff suggests that those in power often ignore public opinion. Does this mean that public opinion never matters? What does Domhoff say?
| Public opinion never matters in shaping policy. This is because the interests of the minority upper class and corporates come first before theirs. The only time that the government gets pressure to consider public opinion is when the citizens protest over an issue that they think is important to them, and which should be considered in public policy. Therefore, Domhoff states that public opinion is usually ignored. |
- (A) What does Domhoff say in his section, “Attempts to ‘Enforce’ Public Opinion.” (B) In this section, he also discusses “whistleblowers.” Find a recent example of a whistleblower and indicate whether your example supports or contradicts Domhoff’s argument in this section. Explain and cite your source.
| A. In this section, Domhoff focuses on the tactics that can be used by the power elites in order to ensure that the public policy is enforced, with one of these tactics being threatening. Some groups or people who are subjected to such treatment are whistleblowers who have ever been subjected to scorn, isolation, among other sanctions. |
| B. An example of a whistleblower is Edward Snowden, who leaked documents showing that the government was gathering information from private citizens as part of the massive electronic-surveillance program. This whistleblower was charged with espionage and was granted temporary asylum (Brown, 2014). This provided example is in line with Domhoff’s argument in this section where he states that some measures are enforced to the whistleblowers to silence them. |
- Watch the video, Shaping Public Opinion (also available on Canvas). Does the message in the video conform with or contradict Domhoff’s basic argument in the chapter? Explain. To receive full credit, it must be clear that you watched the entire video; you must specific points from the video.
| The video in the canvas states that the public opinion is never considered in shaping public policy and that it is the media, which does this by choosing what to cover and what not to cover. The point covered in the video is in line with Domhoff’s argument in the chapter. |
Reference
Brown, A. J. (2014). International handbook on whistleblowing research.