Among the president, Congress, and the Supreme Court, which ...

[cherise1989]

Among the president, Congress, and the Supreme Court, which receives the most attention from the press? Which receives the least? What accounts for these differences?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Describe agenda setting. Why is it important?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[ebenov]

Answer to Question 1

Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Explain that the president gets the most attention and the Supreme Court tends to receive the least attention.
2. Discuss how the difference in media attention is in part shaped by the fact that the president is a single person who is easy to cover, while Congress is decentralized.
3. Note that the Supreme Court receives less attention in part because the Court, in an effort to protect the perception of political neutrality, prevents television coverage. Another reason the Supreme Court receives less coverage is simply that the public is less interested in the legal intricacies.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Explain that agenda setting is the process by which the media pay significant attention to an issue. Consequently, the public begins to think that that issue is very important, pressuring the government to take action.
2. Note that agenda setting is important because it has the ability to shape and direct which issues government will seek public policy solutions for.