Question

Identify the strategy for evaluating campaign literature:Washington Post:"Mayor Jenkins has been the best mayor in our history, under his watch the unemployment rate has decreased to 6.5%"

Answer 1

Evaluating campaign literature involves analyzing available information, considering the source, and understanding the media strategies employed by political candidates to present their agenda positively.

Step-by-step explanation:

Evaluating campaign literature requires a critical look at the information being presented. In the case of the claim made by the Washington Post stating that 'Mayor Jenkins has been the best mayor in our history, under his watch the unemployment rate has decreased to 6.5%', it is important to consider the context and the source. To determine whether Mayor Jenkins' leadership effectively reduced unemployment, one could analyze various economic reports, compare the rates to national averages or trends, and assess other factors that may have influenced the unemployment rate.

It is also important to recognize that such claims may be a part of the candidate's media strategy. Historical strategies like the 'bubble' or 'issue-of-the-day' have been used to control the narrative, as seen with Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Candidates often use media opportunities to present themselves in a positive light.

The effectiveness of print media, as seen in the Canadian mayoral budget poll, and the use of well-conceived political advertisements and slogans often influence public perception. When assessing campaign literature, one must look beyond the immediate claims and consider the broader political and media strategies at play.

Answer 2

Evaluating campaign literature involves verifying claims with historical data, understanding the strategies used by campaigns to shape media coverage, and applying economic principles to assess statements on budget strategies like the Washington Monument strategy.

Step-by-step explanation:

To evaluate campaign literature strategically, one should consider the source of the information, the statistics provided, and how they might be presented to serve the campaign's agenda. In the example provided by the Washington Post, claiming 'Mayor Jenkins has been the best mayor in our history, under his watch the unemployment rate has decreased to 6.5%', one should look at the historical data for unemployment rates to verify this claim, understand the context of how these rates have changed, and consider other factors that might have influenced the decrease beyond the mayor's actions. Additionally, analyzing the literature in light of historical campaign strategies, such as those used in the presidential elections of the 1980s and 1990s, can provide insight into the intentions behind the message and the ways in which the campaign might be attempting to shape public perception.

Campaigns have historically exercised tight control over the information released to create favorable media coverage. As the 'bubble' practice indicates, where campaigns limit journalist access, evaluating literature also involves discerning whether the coverage represents genuine news or if it is essentially campaign advertising. Moreover, phrases like “I'm George Bush, and I approved this message” from campaigns can create a sense of transparency and straightforwardness, perhaps influencing voter perception.

The Washington Monument strategy, in economic terms, involves the notion of diminishing marginal utility. When faced with budget cuts, an agency might close a high-profile attraction to elicit a public outcry and potentially secure funding, which could mislead the public about the actual impact of the cuts. Evaluators of such claims would benefit from understanding economic principles to assess the strategy's validity and carry out a more informed critique of the campaign literature.