POL101Dicussion#1
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Colorado State University, Global Campus *
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101
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Political Science
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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Uploaded by BrigadierField624
Hello Dr. Pressey and classmates,
What can we learn about the exercise of political power by viewing political drama in the
media?
After reviewing the required readings, much can be learned about the exercise of political power
by viewing political drama. This proves to be true in all sorts of media, including the discussed
Game of Thrones and House of Cards. According to Simon et al. (2019), politics refers to the
“process whereby public values are debated, political actors cooperate and struggle for power,
and policy judgments are made and implemented (p. 882). In the process of politics, viewers of
political dramas are often heavily influenced by the characters.
For example, forms of
manipulation and persuasion conducted by the protagonist can allow viewers to understand their
goal (Globan et al, 2017). Therefore, showcasing political power and how it can be employed.
Identify a political movie or television show other than Game of Thrones or House of
Cards, or even a video game of a political nature, and analyze how it depicts the exercise of
political power.
Moreover, the show I chose to analyze is The Wire. There are five seasons of The Wire, and a
total of sixty episodes. While there are countless depictions of the exercise of political power,
this discussion will focus on Tommy Carcetti. Carcetti is a politician in the state of Maryland.
Throughout the series Carcetti works his way from councilmen, to mayor, and finally becomes
governor of Maryland. As the election time approaches, Carcetti makes the decision to focus on
lowering crime rates affecting the homeless population; however, he the local police department
is reluctant to back his request. Consequently, Carcetti proposes unlimited overtime and extra
funding to get everyone on board. Lastly, Carcetti struggles to get support from minority groups
due to the lack association with minority politicians. As a result, Carcetti must strategically
expose himself to individuals, such as business owners, with various backgrounds to earn the
trust of the minority population. In both cases, Carcetti uses resources available to him to
influence supporters and increase votes; thus, exercising political power.
References
Globan, I. S., & Ezgeta, M. (2017). How (fictional) politicians persuade and manipulate their
viewers? The case of House of Cards.
Communication Management Review, 2
, 74-98.
Simon, D. W., Romance, J., & Riemer, N. (2019).
The challenge of politics: An introduction to
political science (6th ed.)
. Sage Publications.
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