Page 15 - Historical Dictionary of Political Communication in the United States

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AGENDA
SETTING
began his political career as a clerk of the Massachusetts General Assembly. In
that role, he wrote many letters to the other colonies informing them of various
acts and measures passed by the General Assembly. He is credited for inciting
action against the Stamp Act and was one of those who incited the Boston Tea
Party. He barred the doors of the General Assembly when British soldiers at-
tempted to interrupt a meeting at which the assembly determined whom to send
as delegates to the First Continental Congress.
SOURCES: Daniel J. Elazar and Ellis Katz, eds., American Models of Revolutionary
Leadership, 1992; Frank Magill, Great Lives from History: American Series, 1987.
Jacqueline Nash Gifford

AGENDA SETTING is the theory that the media don't tell people what to
think, but rather what to think about. In other words, the media define what the
issues are. The concept traces back at least to Walter Lippmann's Public Opin-
ion, but the first research data come from a study by Maxwell McCombs and
Donald Shaw.
Agenda-setting studies compare the ranking of issues by the public, the media,
and the politicians. They usually are highly correlated. McCombs and Shaw
concluded in their study that the media had set the public agenda for the pres-
idential election of 1968. Subsequent studies have suggested that, in some in-
stances, the agenda is set by the politicians and picked up by the media. Other
studies have suggested that, in some instances, the public sets the agenda.
So, while it is clear that the agendas of the politicians, the media, and the
public often are very similar, it often is not clear which of the three originated
the agenda. (See also Maxwell McCombs; Donald Shaw.)
SOURCE: Werner J. Severin and James W. Tankard, Jr., Communication Theories,
fourth edition, 1997.
Guido H. Stempel III

AGNEW, SPIRO T. (1918-1996) became vice president of the United States
on January 20, 1969, and was reelected in 1972. However, he resigned in dis-
grace on October 10, 1973, after pleading nolo contendere (no contest) to tax
evasion. In return for his plea, government prosecutors agreed not to prosecute
him on charges of extortion and bribery.
A labor lawyer, Agnew was elected Baltimore County chief executive in
November 1962 and was elected governor of Maryland four years later. As vice
president, Agnew became known for his colorful language and combative style.
He described critics of President Richard Nixon's Vietnam War policy as "nat-
tering nabobs of negativism" and "pusillanimous pussyfooters." He denouced
"hopeless, hysterical, hypochondriacs of history" and "ideological Eunuchs."
He led the attack of the Nixon administration against the media, opposing "in-
stant analysis" by television commentators and complaining of "liberal bias"
in the media.