runningheadpublicaffairsandagendasetting.docVIP

Running head: PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND AGENDA SETTING Capstone Project Public Affairs and Agenda Setting: Passive Onlookers or Active Participants Department of Defense Joint Course in Communication Group III Class 2000-C Randy Midgett, Carmen Cordoba, Michael Pope, Michael Birmingham Abstract Public confidence in the military is at a twenty-five year high since it reached an apex after the Gulf War (Gallup, 1999). Since a low in 1995 of $255 billion in defense appropriations, the defense budget has steadily risen to a proposed authorization likely in excess of $300 billion for Fiscal Year 2001(Wolfe, 2000). The increase in defense spending appears to have the support of Americans (Gallup, 1999, May). If public opinion does have an effect on defense appropriations, then what effect does military public affairs have on public opinion? Is public opinion merely a function of media agenda-setting (McCombs Shaw, 1972), or can the military help set the agenda? At least two studies suggest military public affairs can help shape the agenda and have a positive effect on public opinion (U.S. Army OCPA, 1998; NORAD, USSPACECOM, AFSPCOM, 2000). Based on this prior research, two hypotheses are advanced: (H1) Defense appropriations are positively correlated with public opinion of the military, and (H2) Military public affairs communications campaigns positively influence media agenda-setting. A methodological framework is discussed to test these hypotheses. . Public Affairs and Agenda Setting Public confidence in the military is at a twenty-five year high since it reached an apex after the Gulf War (Gallup, 1999, June). The military as an institution consistently receives the highest public confidence ratings of twenty-six institutions according to annual Gallup polling (1999, June). Even after the Vietnam War, the military consistently received confidence ratings above 50% since the poll began in 1973. The military lagged only behind organized