Question 4: 1920s politics:
Democrats support more government involvement and liberal ideas; Republicans support shift of less government control and more conservative values. During this time many "conservative democrats" and "liberal republicans" shift parties.
<em>During the preceding Progressive Era (1890-1920), both parties tended to favor progressive ideas. But in the 1920s, with Republican presidencies of Harding, Coolidge, and the first year of Hoover's term in office, Republicans became less progressive and more pro-business in their policies. (The question asked about the 1920s, so the stock market crash that began on October 24, 1929 would be after the time period the question is asking about.)</em>
Question 5: Interest groups aim to help shape public policy, also known as government policy
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<em>Interest groups will use a variety of means in their efforts to shape public policy. They use publicity (advertising, mass mailings, etc), litigation in the courts, protests to raise awareness regarding issues, campaign contributions and endorsements of their preferred candidates, lobbying in Washington to influence elected officials, etc.</em>
Question 6: The press is considered the "gate keeper" when it comes to the news.
<em>The media (the press) is seen serving as "gate keeper" because leading media outlets decide what subjects become national political issues and for how long, based on the coverage and attention they give to those issues. in today's political marketplace, competing media outlets have developed, some favoring a more conservative view and others more liberal. All sorts of independent sources exist now too, in the form of blogs and Internet postings by private users. So the role of the established media as "gate keeper" has been undergoing challenges.</em>
