Contradictions Within

The Gilens article addresses important contradictions within our political system today. While Americans have greater access to education, news sources provide the public with less substantive information about candidates and policy for these educated people to interpret and judge. Many may argue that education is key to having a more engaged electorate, but a more engaged electorate will not be possible unless there is a source that will provide them with substantive information with which to debate about. In particular, educated electors need to have access to unbiased information, not opinion or promises from candidates, about the policies that candidates are proposing and how these will affect other institutions already in place. The authors also make a point that Americans are not becoming less knowledgeable about candidates and policy. Rather than receiving their information from news sources, they are receiving messages about candidates and policy from campaign advertising paid for by the candidates and parties themselves. In the most recent election, many criticized Periello and Hurt for spending excess money on campaign ads and television commercials. Many of the messages that people in the 5th district received about the candidates' policies came from these ads.

Although it is encouraging to think that people are not becoming less knowledgeable about policy and candidates because of the presence of campaign ads, I hesitate to say this is completely a good measure of our political system. Electors who rely on 30 sec ads to make judgements about which candidates are respectable or about what policy is most beneficial, will only develop a very minimal understanding of policy and how it affects the nation as a whole. Reliance on television ads also restricts the candidates who are able to participate in this political institution. As the article suggests, presidential ads are very important for engaging the public, but they are also very expensive. Those candidates who can pay for more exposure have an advantage, regardless of the relevancy of their actual policy goals to the well being of the nation. I believe it is the responsibility of politicians and the news companies to help put an end to the electorates reliance on brief campaign ads. News sources must increase the coverage they give to issues and stories that are relevant and informative. This will be a challenge since it appears consumers do not demand this type of information. This is where the government must step in to protect the interests of an electorate which is currently unable to judge what is best for them.