Although on election day each vote carries equal weight, in the U.S. there is a strong correlatio... more Although on election day each vote carries equal weight, in the U.S. there is a strong correlation between policy and the preferences of the affluent, and a weak correlation between policy and the preferences of the middle class or the poor. This state of affairs can result from unequal input into the democratic process. If a democracy allows unlimited private financing of political campaigns, then prior to elections wealthy citizens or businesses can gain greater influence than others on the political discourse. In addition, there is a danger that elected representatives − who wish to be re-elected − would decide in ways that serve the interests of their big donors. In this article, I discuss an important aspect of money’s influence on politics, namely whether corporations should be allowed to participate in the financing of campaigns. This issue produced intense disagreement over the last several years, following the U.S. Supreme Court decision which held that restrictions against...
Modern advertisements contain little information and expose few arguments. They rarely describe t... more Modern advertisements contain little information and expose few arguments. They rarely describe the product and its usage or compare it to similar products. Yet, advertisements convey many messagesthey attach meaning to products, suggest values, and spread a particular view of life. Advertisements create a failure in the democratic process; through advertising, commercial corporations intervene in the democratic discourse. Citizens are intensively exposed to the consumerist worldview while alternative points of view are scarcely presented in the communicative sphere.But commercial corporations are not legitimate participants in the public discourse in a democracy since they do not represent the political support of citizens. Presently, courts grant advertisements freedom of speech protection based on the importance of providing information for viewers. But by doing this, courts ignore the value suggesting messages prevalent in modern advertisements.For many years the law in the dom...
Abstract: Despite its negative reputation, lobbying is an important vehicle for ensuring citizen ... more Abstract: Despite its negative reputation, lobbying is an important vehicle for ensuring citizen participation in the democratic process, allowing a vibrant and participatory democracy. This article supports the pluralistic theory of democracy, which views democracy as an arena in ...
... Leo Bogart, Strategy in Advertising: Matching Media and Messages to Market and Motivation 5 (... more ... Leo Bogart, Strategy in Advertising: Matching Media and Messages to Market and Motivation 5 (2d ed., Crain Books 1984); Schudson, supra n. 2, at 50, 62. ... See generally Richard L. Hazlett & Sasha Yassky Hazlett, Emotional Response to Television Commercials: Facial EMG vs ...
In light of the importance of culture for the autonomy, sense of identity, and self-respect of in... more In light of the importance of culture for the autonomy, sense of identity, and self-respect of individuals, cultural minorities have a right that their cultures flourish. Since cultural minorities are frequently in a disadvantaged position in the cultural market-place, a commitment to equality implies that the state ought to take steps to assist these minorities in preserving their cultures. This Article examines the ways the mass media can assist cultural minorities in preserving their cultures. For instance, when the media present contents that relate to the cultures of minorities, individual members of the minority group are exposed to their culture; media designated for cultural groups facilitate dialogue between group members, thus enabling the cultural group to determine which parts of its culture to retain and which parts to change. With that said, contemporary media frequently provide insufficient cultural contents due to the influence of commercial operational logic. This A...
Although on election day each vote carries equal weight, in the U.S. there is a strong correlatio... more Although on election day each vote carries equal weight, in the U.S. there is a strong correlation between policy and the preferences of the affluent, and a weak correlation between policy and the preferences of the middle class or the poor. This state of affairs can result from unequal input into the democratic process. If a democracy allows unlimited private financing of political campaigns, then prior to elections wealthy citizens or businesses can gain greater influence than others on the political discourse. In addition, there is a danger that elected representatives − who wish to be re-elected − would decide in ways that serve the interests of their big donors. In this article, I discuss an important aspect of money’s influence on politics, namely whether corporations should be allowed to participate in the financing of campaigns. This issue produced intense disagreement over the last several years, following the U.S. Supreme Court decision which held that restrictions against...
Modern advertisements contain little information and expose few arguments. They rarely describe t... more Modern advertisements contain little information and expose few arguments. They rarely describe the product and its usage or compare it to similar products. Yet, advertisements convey many messagesthey attach meaning to products, suggest values, and spread a particular view of life. Advertisements create a failure in the democratic process; through advertising, commercial corporations intervene in the democratic discourse. Citizens are intensively exposed to the consumerist worldview while alternative points of view are scarcely presented in the communicative sphere.But commercial corporations are not legitimate participants in the public discourse in a democracy since they do not represent the political support of citizens. Presently, courts grant advertisements freedom of speech protection based on the importance of providing information for viewers. But by doing this, courts ignore the value suggesting messages prevalent in modern advertisements.For many years the law in the dom...
Abstract: Despite its negative reputation, lobbying is an important vehicle for ensuring citizen ... more Abstract: Despite its negative reputation, lobbying is an important vehicle for ensuring citizen participation in the democratic process, allowing a vibrant and participatory democracy. This article supports the pluralistic theory of democracy, which views democracy as an arena in ...
... Leo Bogart, Strategy in Advertising: Matching Media and Messages to Market and Motivation 5 (... more ... Leo Bogart, Strategy in Advertising: Matching Media and Messages to Market and Motivation 5 (2d ed., Crain Books 1984); Schudson, supra n. 2, at 50, 62. ... See generally Richard L. Hazlett & Sasha Yassky Hazlett, Emotional Response to Television Commercials: Facial EMG vs ...
In light of the importance of culture for the autonomy, sense of identity, and self-respect of in... more In light of the importance of culture for the autonomy, sense of identity, and self-respect of individuals, cultural minorities have a right that their cultures flourish. Since cultural minorities are frequently in a disadvantaged position in the cultural market-place, a commitment to equality implies that the state ought to take steps to assist these minorities in preserving their cultures. This Article examines the ways the mass media can assist cultural minorities in preserving their cultures. For instance, when the media present contents that relate to the cultures of minorities, individual members of the minority group are exposed to their culture; media designated for cultural groups facilitate dialogue between group members, thus enabling the cultural group to determine which parts of its culture to retain and which parts to change. With that said, contemporary media frequently provide insufficient cultural contents due to the influence of commercial operational logic. This A...
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