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The impact of mass media in politics
The impact of mass media in politics
Mr smith goes to washington film questions
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In the United States, politics is always present in our daily lives. Politics is important because it shapes the way we live our lives. We live in a society where there is order and stability but also liberty and freedom of speech and it is because of the well-structured constitution written by The Framers at the Philadelphia Convention of 1789. Watching the film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington made me learn about concepts of American politics in a way that was entertaining and not at all boring. It is a fascinating film with an excellent script and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to have fun while also learning about politics. The beginning of the movie starts when a senator from an unnamed state dies and the governor, named Hubert …show more content…
According to the Oxford dictionary, a filibuster is “an action, such as a prolonged speech, that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically contravening the required procedures”. In politics, a filibuster is usually used so that one can obstruct the progress of a bill, or to convince the senate to work on another bill. In the film Mr. Smith goes to Washington, Jefferson Smith does a filibuster to prove his innocence and to obstruct the progress of the dam building bill. Smith achieves this by speaking nonstop for 24 hours without sitting down, in an attempt to make the people in the senate and the people of his state understand that he is innocent. Performing a filibuster in the senate requires the speaker “to not yield,” which means that a speaker must not sit down while speaking so that he can continue on with a filibuster. Another concept that the film portrays perfectly is the usage of mass media. Mass media according to our notes is defined as a “linkage mechanism, such as television, radio, newspaper, magazines, and the internet, capable of rapidly communicating information to large numbers of people over large distances.” Since the film’s setting is the 1930’s, the media that was used in order to rapidly communicate information were newspapers, radio, and magazines. In the film, the radio and newspaper are used to spread information in different ways. At the start of the film, the newspaper is used in a big way to make fun of Smith by calling him dumb when he is interviewed by journalists shortly after he arrived in Washington DC. Later in the film, when Smith is performing a filibuster, the majority of the newspapers and radio stations speak negatively of Smith and are do not even mention his filibuster due to Jim Taylor’s
Ulysses Simpson Grant, the 18th President of the United States of America, was a significant influence on American history. Throughout his life, he always felt an exceptional commitment to the American military. This man helped the Union defeat the Confederates in the American Civil War and contributed to Americans during the Reconstruction time period, in hopes that America would be a fully industrialized nation. Grant displays many important military and political leadership roles in American society.
In the novel 1776 by David McCullough, the author gives the reader an accurate description of the events around the year 1776. However, certain characters and events are portrayed through the opinion of the author which gives an interesting view and may change certain opinions on characters. McCullough starts off with the portrayal of King George when he learns of a rebellion. King George is portrayed as rather wise and we'll put together and the authors puts aside his later madness for the reader to see the kind of man he really was. McCullough’s portrayal of George Washington in my opinion was sort of the opposite of rags to riches. Washington starts off in a practically English lifestyle then later takes control of the American army and
Media plays an important role in politics. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington illustrates this. In the movie the newspaper was controlled by Taylor and his political machine. Due to this the newspaper wrote negative things about Smith and tarnishing his reputation in Washington. He was frustrated because the newspaper made him look like a joke and people in Washington believed it. This also influences passing his bill in the senate. Saunders decided that Smith should call for a filibuster which is talking about the bill and try to influence votes. The newscaster was not accurate with his description of a filibuster because he thinks it just blocks a vote. Saunders was not completely accurate because he talks about passing through the senate but it also has to pass through House of Representatives.
Even though John Adams (1735-1826) and John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) were father and son, also they were our President in the United States but they are not the same. The differences are their early lives, the early political career, and major presidential actions.
During the American Revolution, Washington and his men were experiencing a series of defeat. In order to bring about great pride and patriotism of an American, they sought to plan a sneak attack on the opposite force. On December 25, Washington and 5,400 troops began crossing the Delaware River to the Hessian stronghold. At this point in time, the Hessians were celebrating Christmas; this was a perfect time for an attack. When Washington and his men arrived, they started attacking the unsuspected Hessians; nearly 1,000 Hessians were captured. Even though the attack was not significant, it raised American spirit. In 1851, Emanuel Leutze created the image of Washington Crossing the Delaware; the painting was later destroyed, but restored by another artist. The mood of the painting can be described as intense and patriotic. Later, a poem called “Washington Crossing the Delaware” was written by David Shulman. The mood of the poem
Mr. Smith is portrayed as an honest man with strong opinions. He is the ideal politician in an ideal society. The film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington depicts a "reassuring image" that happens to be "an image of the past" (Wheeler). However, in today's legislature, people like Mr. Smith are rare due to the fact that a politician's primary goal is re-election. The good of the people may come as another intention of a politician, but it is always secondary to "bringing home the pork." There should be more people like Mr. Smith because the legislature would be able to make decisions more effectively and efficiently, rather than how slowly they currently operate. This is an unfortunate truth, yet it is how our society has been shaped to operate. This becomes apparent after close examination of the United States legislature today and viewing of the film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
In Frank Capra’s 1939 people’s fable “Mr. Smith goes to Washington “Jefferson Smith, a young, idealistic, and naïve hero from a Midwestern state is thrust into public notoriety through a chance course of events. His journey will compel him to contemplate the veracity of the political foundation which supports American democracy and confront the corruption which seeks to erode it.
John Adams Biography John Adams was born on October 30, 1735 and died on July 4, 1826. He was the second president of the United States. He served from 1797 to 1801. Earlier, he served as the first vice president of the United States. John Adams was a statesman, a diplomat, and a leading advocate of American independence from Great Britain.
After all these years since the United States was born no one has forgotten the name George Washington. George Washington help the united states gain its independence. That wasn't all after we one independence George Washington was elected the first U.S. president. I believe that George Washington was the best president because he was our first its because of him how we are today even though the U.S. is going through a rough patch right now he left a great name for the United States Of America. George Washington was the right man for the job.
This past summer, when I lived and worked in Washington, DC—first as a U.S. Senate Page and then as a Congressional Intern—I gained invaluable experience and insight to the American political system. It is amazing how much one can learn from simply overhearing the conversations of Members of Congress on a daily basis. Working on the floor of the Senate and then in the back rooms of a Congressional office were two entirely different experiences, each teaching me in a distinctive way about how our political system functions. While I most definitely became aware of how bureaucratic and slow our democratic system can be, I also discovered that with a commitment to unity and prosperity for the common good, great feats are attainable through government.
Before and after the Mexican- American War filibusters were dealt with like any other criminal. Many filibusters found it thrilling to go against international and domestic law. Filibusters in early history of the US wanted to add free colonies to their own country. The Neutrality Law of 1818 was created to stop and deal with filibusters. This law was the misery of American filibusters. Article 6 stated anyone will be imprisoned for a maximum of three years and fined up to three thousand dollars, who aided anyone in US jurisdiction, who attempted any military expedition against any state or jurisdiction the US...
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is an inspirational and comedic take on American politics. The film centers around Jeff Smith, a Boy’s Club leader similar to a Boy Scout troop leader, that is appointed to the U.S. Senate after one of his state’s representatives dies. Smith is chosen because a corrupt businessman and political boss, Jim Taylor, advises Governor Hopper to appoint someone who will listen to commands. Taylor and the state’s other senator, Joseph Paine, are trying to pass a bill through Congress that involves a provision for building a dam on a creek in Paine and Smith’s home state. Taylor has been buying land around the dam’s site for next to nothing, in hopes of turning it for an immense profit
The movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington did a great job demonstrating the power and influence media can have on American politics. In the movie Jim Taylor is an evil man who corrupts politicians. He uses his control of the media, particularly newspapers, to exert is power on politicians. Without his support politicians are viewed in a negative light by the media and are subsequently unelected (22). In the end of the movie Jefferson Smith who was appointed Senator from his state is falsely accused of trying to profit off of his bill. Senator Jefferson Smith goes to the senate floor to filibuster a motion to have him removed from the senate. The filibuster lasts nearly a full day as does the war of public opinion. Jim Taylor uses his pull with the local media to blacklist all information
In the US, mass media plays a significant role in politics. One of the key roles mass media plays in politics includes the airing of the platforms of various politicians. The media influences the view of people on politics and politicians. As the opinion of individuals is affected, the results of the votes are consequently changed (Holden, 2016).
Politics is the means for attaining valued things. Although, valued things are different in every society, the means of securing those things has never changed. The competition for power, authority and influence will always be the backbone of politics. Applying power, authority and influence to the valued things that support the public good, will produce the quality of life a society desires. In the present day, citizens in the United States demand certain valued things such as welfare, education, safe streets and healthcare. Through politics, citizens can apply their power in many different ways to get the things they want. Power is the ability to get someone to do something they may or may not want to do. Through the use of or the application of coercion, persuasion, manipulation and negotiation, power is used to influence the system.