SF 183: Politics, Power and the Mediav.1

T/TH 3:05-4:20 pm Fall 2017 Sawyer 1126

SF 183

Politics, Power and the Media

Suffolk University

Fall 2017

Prof. Brian M. Conley

Office: Government Department, Room 1084, 10th Floor, 73 Tremont Street

Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 12:00-1:00 PMand by appointment

Email:

Phone: 617-995-6414

Course Description:

Is there a relationship between accumulated political power and mass media representations? Is news content impacted by existing political power relations? It is the object of this course to critically analyze the role of the mass media within the framework of existing power relations in the United States. In particular, the course will focus on the role the mass media play in promoting and reinforcing dominant political practices and ideologies. The course will begin by exploring various theories of the press, notably its function in a democratic society, as well as the concepts of power and propaganda. We will continue with a series of case studies, complemented by secondary sources that highlight how media representations affect contemporary policy discussions and the distribution of political power in the US. Topics of discussion will include the current US war on terrorism, the ongoing national health care debate, the public disavowal of “big government,” and the concept of a liberal media.

CourseGoals & Learning Objectives

GOALS / OBJECTIVES / ASSESSMENTS
Develop a general understanding of the fields of communication, media analysis and political science. / Develop the ability to analyze and critically evaluate competing media and political theories. / - Class Readings Assignments
- Class Writing Assignments
- Class Discussion
Develop a general understanding of the social science writing process. / Develop the ability to organize and write a research paper. / - Class Readings Assignments
- Class Writing Assignments
Develop a general understanding of the social science research process. / Develop the ability to gather and critically evaluate media and social science research. / - Class Readings Assignments
- Class Writing Assignments
- Class Discussion
Develop a general understanding of how arguments are made and presented in the fields of communication, media analysis and political science. / Develop presentation skills. / - Class Presentations
- Class Readings Assignments
- Class Discussion

Course Requirements

A key component of the course will be learning how to organize and write a research paper, beginning with the development of a research question, followed by the drafting of a literature review, a research outline and concluding with a final research paper.

Students will be evaluated on the basis of the following:

Four (4) Writing Assignments
Response Pages
Class Attendance and Participation
An In-class Presentation

1. Writing Assignments (4)

The first assignment is a research question. The second is a corresponding literature review, and the third a research outline. These three assignments will serve as the building blocks of the final assignment: a 10-12 page research paper. Each assignment will be preceded by a writing seminar that focuses on that component of the paper. Each assignment should be submitted though the course Blackboard site.

Research Paper: Topics:

We will discuss three distinct policy areas in this course:

1)US Economic Policy

2)US Health Care Policy

3)US Foreign Policy

Choose one of above policy areas, and describe which theory of the media, public relations, or power offers, in your opinion, the most compelling explanation for certain policy outcomes?

Regardless of what you study, your paper must include a critical review (a literature review) of competing schools of thought as they relate to your core research question/topic. You need to situate your analysis within the theoretical debates and literature examined in class.

2. Response Pages

You will also be required to submit tworesponse pages per class. The response page assignment requires you to critically engage with the weekly class readings. The response page should be no longer than a single page. They will be due by the beginning of class each day and should be submitted though the course Blackboard site.

Class Attendance:

Students are expected to attend and participate in each class. An attendance sheet will be circulated at the beginning of each class.If you are unable to attend class, due to illness or a because of a conflict, please notify me by email.

I also strongly encourage you to read any of the major national newspapers, journals of opinion, news magazines and political blogs as well as to watch cable and broadcast news programs in order to stay abreast of current political issues and developments. You should feel free at any time to introduce issues you find relevant in our class discussion or on the class blog.

3.Presentations:

Students will be required to make a short (3-5 minute) presentation during the closing weeks of the semester on their research work and paper.

Grading / Due Dates
Response Page 17%
Research Question: 5%
Literature Review: 25%
Paper Outline/Research Design: 10%
Final Research Paper: 30%
Attendance and Participation: 8%
Presentations: 5% / Weekly
September 26
October 31
November 14
December 19
***
November 30-December 7

Readings

Class Website:

The syllabus as well as ALL class readings and support materials will be posted on the following class website:

Password: sf183

Student Engagement Hours

To complete this course, students will need to dedicate, at a minimum, the following amount of time to the listed activities:

Item / Activity / Hours (total)
Course Readings: / 728 Pages x 8 min per Page / 97
Review Power Points: / 50 PP x .30 Hour per PP / 25
Research Question: / 3 Hours Preparation / 3
Literature Review: / 10 Hours Preparation / 10
Research Outline: / 6 Hours Preparation / 6
Final Paper: / 10 Hours Preparation / 10
Response Pages: / 8 Hours Preparation / 8
Class Attendance: / 27 Classes x .75 minutes / 33.75
Total: / 192.75

University Policies:

Suffolk University Academic Honesty Policy:

Undergraduate Honor Policy:

“Students are expected to conduct themselves with integrity. In classrooms and laboratories, at internships, in libraries and in study groups and academic teams, cultivating and practicing honesty lays a foundation for lifelong integrity. Making honest, ethical choices is a necessary step in establishing communities of trust. Academic dishonesty includes four general types of inappropriate behavior: cheating, plagiarism, dishonest conduct and collusion/unauthorized collaboration.” (

Student Resources:

The university provides a range of student services. To learn more, explore this webpage:

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Course Schedule:

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Thursday: September 7: Introduction: Review Syllabus (i1)

Background:

Not Taxed Enough Already

Tuesday: September 12: (c1)

Key Question/Issue: Are we “taxed enough already” in the US? What are the differences between a repressive and progressive tax system?

Readings:

Warren Buffet. 2011. “Stop Coddling the Super-Rich.” New York Times,

Aug., 14. 1-5.

Cal Thomas. 2011. “Why Doesn’t Warren Buffet Just Write the

Government a Check?” FOX News, Aug., 17.

Chris Wallace. 2011. “Grapevine: Warren Buffett on Taxes.” FOX News,

Aug., 15.

Kate Zernike and Megan Thee-Brenan. 2010. “Polls Finds Tea Party

Backers Wealthier and More Educated.” New York Times, April 14. 1-5.

Nicholas Shaxson. 2016. “The Great Trump Tax Mysteries: Is He Hiding

Loopholes, Errors or Something More Serious.” Vanity FairAugust.

Bernie Becker. 2013. “Tax Writers Promise 50 Years of Secrecy for

Senators' Suggestions.” The Hill, July 24.

A Liberal Media?

Thursday: September 14: (c2)

Key Question/Issue: In your analysis, does the media in the US have a

liberal, conservative or some other ideological bias?

Readings:

Bernard Goldberg. 2003. Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media

Distort the News. New York: Perennial. Chapter 1.

Eric Alterman. 2003. What Liberal Media?: The Truth About Bias and

the News. New York: Basic Books. Chapter 1.

Suggested:

Joe Conason. 2003. Big Lies. New York: Thomas Dunne Books.

Chapter 2.

Writing Seminar: Research Questions

Tuesday: September 19: (s1)

Readings:

Wayne Booth et al. 2003. The Craft of Research.Chicago: University of

Chicago Press. Chapter 3, 14.

Lisa Baglione. 2007. Writing a Research Paper in Political Science: A

Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods.New York: Thomson, Wadsworth. 14-16.

Theories of Power

Three Faces of Power

Thursday: September 21: (c3)

Key Question/Issue: What does Dahl mean by “pluralism” in the

context of US politics?

Readings:

Robert Dahl. 2007. Who Governs? In The Lanahan Readings in the

American Polity, ed. Ann Serow and Everett Ladd. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers. 88-94.

Tuesday: September 26:Research Question Due(c4)

Key Question/Issue: What, in Gaventa’s analysis, are the three faces of

power?

Readings:

John Gaventa. 1980. Power and Powerlessness. Urbana: University of

Illinois Press. 3-20.

Theoretical and Historical Work

Theories of Propaganda: Classic Interpretations

Thursday: September 28: (c5)

Key Question/Issue: How did the “Creel Commission” attempt to shift public opinion in the US about the necessity of the country getting involved in the first world war?

Readings:

George Creel. 1920.How We Advertised America. New York: Harper

and Brothers. Chapter 1.

Stuart Ewen. 1996. PR! A Social History of Spin. New York: Basic Books.

Chapter 2.

Tuesday: October 3:(c6)

Key Question/Issue: What role, in Bernay’s thinking, does propaganda play within otherwise democratic systems of government?

Readings:

Edward Bernays.1928. Propaganda. New York: H. Liverigh. Chapters
1 and 9.

Lippmann, Walter. 1995. “The Phantom Public.” In Propaganda, ed.

Robert Jackall. New York: New York University Press.

Harold D. Lasswell. 1995. “Propaganda.” In Robert Jackall ed.

Propaganda. New York: New York University Press.

Suggested:

Edward L. Bernays. 1947. “The Engineering of Consent.” The Annals of

the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences 250

(March): 113 –120.

Walter Lippmann. 1992. Public Opinion. New York: Harcourt. Chapter

15.

Larry Tye, 1998. The Father of Spin. New York: Crown Publishers.

Writing Seminar: Literature Review

Thursday: October 5:(s2)

Readings:

Lisa Baglione. 2007. Writing a Research Paper in Political Science: A

Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods.New York:

Thomson, Wadsworth. Chapter 3.

Laurence Jones and Edward Olson. 1996. Political Science Research: A

Handbook of Scope and Methods.New York: Longman. 30-40.

Tuesday: October 10: Suffolk Monday: No Class

Thursday: October 12: Research Seminar: Computer Lab

Theories of Propaganda: Contemporary Interpretations

Tuesday: October 17: (c7)

Key Question/Issue: Identify and discuss the different levels or “filters” within Herman and Chomsky’s propaganda model?

Readings:

Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky. 1988. Manufacturing Consent.

New York: Pantheon Books. Chapter 1.

Thursday: October 19: (c8)

Key Question/Issue: What, in Lewis’s opinion, is the “political

economy” of the mass media? What economic variables or factors

shape how the media behaves? How do those who own the media or

buy advertising influence what is reported on in the news?

Readings:

Justin Lewis. 2001. Constructing Public Opinion. New York: Columbia

University Press. Chapter 8.

Suggested:

Alex Carey. 1997. Taking the Risk Out of Democracy. Urbana:

University of Illinois Press. Chapter 1 and 6.

Noam Chomsky. 1989. Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in

Democratic Societies.Boston: South End Press. Chapter 1.

The Public Relations Industry

Tuesday: October 24:(c9)

Key Question/Issue: What, in your opinion, is the role of “public

relations” within contemporary US politics and society?

Readings:

Stuart Ewen. 1996. PR! A Social History of Spin. New York: Basic Books.

Chapter 9.

Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber. 2001. Trust Us, We’re Experts!

New York: Putnam. Chapter 1.

Frank Luntz. 2005. “Learning from 2004…Winning in 2006.” The

Luntz Research Companies.

Political Marketing and Branding:

Thursday: October26: (c10)

Key Question/Issue: How do you think your life, as a citizen and a

consumer is shaped by efforts at branding?

Readings:

Ken Cosgrove. 2007. Branded Conservatives.New York: Peter Lang.

Chapter 1.

Catherine Needham. 2005. “Brand Leaders: Clinton, Blair and the

Limitations of the Permanent Campaign.” Political Studies 53: 343-

361.

Suggested:

Sasha Issenberg. 2012. The Victory Lab: The Secret Science of Winning

Campaigns. New York: Crown Publishers. Chapter 4.

Writing Seminar: Research Outline

Tuesday: October 31:Literature Review Due(s3)

Key Question/Issue:

Readings:

Wayne Booth et al. 2007. Writing a Research Paper in Political Science:

A Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods. New York:

Thomson, Wadsworth. Chapter 12.

Case Studies:

The Politics of Economic Recovery

Thursday: November 2: (c11)

Key Question/Issue: In your opinion, who was primarily responsible for the 2008 collapse of the global financial system, Wall Street or Main Street?

Readings:

Simon Johnson and James Kwak. 2010. 13 Bankers. New York:

Pantheon Books. Chapter 6.

James Gattuso. 2010. “Creating a Permanent TARP.” Washington Times

March 25.

David Herszenhorn. 2009. “Recovery Bill Gets Final Approval.” New

York Times, Feb. 13. 1-3.

The Politics of Financial Regulation

Tuesday: November 7: (c12)

Key Question/Issue: What role did efforts at deregulation in the US play in the collapse of the global financial system in 2008?

Readings:

Ezra Klein. 2010. “What's the Republican alternative to bailouts?”

Washington Post April 13.

Sam Stein. 2010.“Frank Luntz Pens Memo To Kill Financial

Regulatory Reform.” Huffington Post April 3.

Helene Cooper. 2010. “Obama Signs Overhaul of Financial System.”

New York Times, Jul., 21.

2010.“The Dodd-Frank Bill: A Cure or ‘Horror Movie’ for the

Economy.” Fox News, Aug., 9.

“Financial Regulation Lags After Dodd-Frank.” Fox Business July

25.

Daniel Gross. 2008. “Right Blames the Credit Crisis on Poor Minority

Homeowners.” Slate October 7.

Suggested:

Andrew Sorkin. 2009. Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How

Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System---and Themselves. New York: Viking.

Health Care

Clinton Plan

Thursday: November 9: Advising Seminar (c13)

Key Question/Issue: Why did Clinton’s attempts to reform the US health care system fail in the early 1990s?

Readings:

Haynes Johnson and David Broder. 1997. The System: The American

Way of Politics at the Breaking Point. New York: Back Bay Books. 55-96, 181-194.

Thomas Scarlett. 1994. “Killing Health Care Reform.” Campaigns and

Elections Oct-Nov.

Robin Toner. 1994.“Harry and Louise.”New York Times, Sept. 30.

Suggested:

Phillip Morris. 1994.Tobacco Strategy Documents. Legacy Tobacco

Documents Library.

Robert Moffit. 1993. “A Guide to the Clinton Health Plan.” TheHeritage

Foundation, Nov. 19.

Obama Plan

Tuesday: November 14: Research Outline Due(c14)

Key Question/Issue: Who opposed Obama’s push to reform the US health care system in 2009 and why?

Readings:

Lawrence Jacobs and Theda Skocpol. 2012. Health Care Reform and

American Politics. Oxford” Oxford University Press, 50-88.

Brian. M. Conley. 2014. “Does Obama Care?: Assessing the Delivery of

Health Reform in the United States.” In Political Marketing in the United States, ed.JenniferLees-Marshment, Kenneth Cosgrove and Brian Conley. New York: Routledge.

Frank Luntz.2009. “The Language of HealthCare 2009.” May.

Suggested:

David S. Hilzenrath. 2009. “Insurer-Owned Consulting Firm Often

Cited in Health Care Debate.” Washington Post, Jul. 23.

Peter H. Stone. 2010. “Health Insurers Funded Chamber Attack Ads.”

National Journal, Jan. 12.

Peter H. Stone. 2010. “Brace for More Attack Ads.” National Journal,

Mar. 1.

Shailagh Murray and Lori Montgomery. 2009. “Senate Passes Health-

Care Bill, Now Must Reconcile It With House.” Washington Post,Dec. 25.

DavidKirkpatrick. 2009. “Lobbyists Fight Last Big Plans to Cut

Health Care Costs.” New York Times, Oct. 11.

Abby Goodnough. 2012. “Distaste for the Health Care Law Reflects

Spending on Ads.” New York Times, June 20.

Foreign Policy

War on Terrorism: Iraq

Thursday: November 16: (c15)

Key Question/Issue: How did the US government seek to both manage

the press and win public support for the liberation of Kuwait in 1991?

Readings:

John R. MacArthur. 1992. The Second Front: Censorship and

Propaganda in the Gulf War. New York: Hill and Wang. Chapter

Patrick Taylor. 1990. “Both Iraq and Iran Gassed Kurds in War, U.S.

Analysis Finds.” Washington Post, May 3: A37.

Andrew Bilski. 1990. “Witnesses to Terror.” MacLean’s,Oct. 22: 32.

Glenn Frankel. 1990. “Amnesty International Accuses Iraq of

Atrocities in Kuwait.” Washington Post,Dec. 19.

John MacArthur, 1992. “Remember Nayirah, Witness for Kuwait?”

New York Times, Jan. 6.

Tuesday: November 21: (c16)

Readings:

Sheldon Rampton and JohnStauber. 2003. Weapons of Mass Deception.

New York: Penguin. Chapter 2.

Thursday: November 23:Thanksgiving Break: No Class

Tuesday: November 28: (c17)

Key Question/Issue: How and why did the US government attempt to link Saddam Hussein to the 9/11 attacks on the US?

Readings:

2003. “An Open Letter to President Bush: ‘Lead the World to Victory.’Project

for a New American Century. In The Iraq War Reader, ed. Micah L Sifry and Christopher Cerf. New York: Touchstone. 222-224.

Daniel Pipes. 2003. “The Enemy Within.” In The Iraq War Reader, ed. Micah

L Sifry and Christopher Cerf. New York: Touchstone. 231-232.

Noam Chomsky. 2003. “Drain the Swamp and There Will Be No More

Mosquitoes.” In The Iraq War Reader, ed. Micah L Sifry and Christopher Cerf. New York: Touchstone. 301-303.

President George Bush. 2003. State of the Union. Jan. 28.

Wolfowitz, Paul. Interview. 2002. San Francisco Chronicle, Feb. 23.

Bob Drogin, Paul Ritcher and Doyle. 2002. “White House Backs Reports of

Link between Iraq, Sept. 1 Suspects.” Los Angeles Times,Aug. 2.

Pincus, Walter. 2002. “No Link Between Hijacker, Iraq Meeting.”

Washington Post,May 1: A9.

Presentations

Thursday: November 30:

Presentations

Tuesday: December 5:

Presentations

Thursday: December 7:Last Class

Presentations

Final Paper Due: Tuesday: December 19