Perry Benson Essays - Politics Of The United States,

Perry Benson 09/07/2017 Professor Brushaber Confirmation Bias/Selective Attention Regarding 2016 Presidential Election There is no denying that the year and a half long journey that the presidential front runners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton went through was tumultuous. Both candidates attacked each other viciously, explicitly, indelicately, and both were also embroiled in countless scandals. However, no matter how much media attention was shined on them negatively they kept their most loyal supporter base intact, while remaining in the race competitively to the very end. My journal is geared towards defining the social phenomenon taking place and to provide examples for both candidates supporting my terminological psychological claims. Confirmation Bias/Selective Attention Confirmation bias is mostly and readily described as a persons disposition to notice or seek out specific information to mentally affirm themselves of something they believe, would like to believe, and omit information that is different to their beliefs. Selective Attention Republicans and liberals alike both suffered from this psychological phenomenon. https://youtu.be/Jaz1J0s-cL4?t=11 The following clip is speeches from Donald Trump early into his bid for presidency. The first sentence of his speech alone generated widespread criticism. Prominent but slightly left leaning media outlets published many articles claiming that he had already lost the presidency, alienated an entire voter base, and doomed his campaign. The examples below do an excellent job of highlighting confirmation bias and selective attention. The media was the guiltiest, they would practice selective attention while unilaterally narrowing in on one thing Trump would say in a speech close to 2 hours long, and the writers themselves would exercise their own confirmation bias with their beliefs regarding immigration. Right wing outlets such as Drudge and Breitbart News were equally as guilty in practicing these two phenomena, but in support of what he said. Republicans, especially white middle-class and lower class voters that grew up in prominent and traditional southern states, working blue collared jobs, reacted positively to the idea of reduced immigration, even though it was advertised indelicately. With a less competitive job market and higher wages, opportunity came to their minds and solidity towards their own innate beliefs, even if they are perceived as racist or bigoted. Liberal, left leaning, and even republican tied people reacted to the initial comment with disgust; because it was extremely aggressive and politically incorrect in every possible definition. These people see something entirely different. People trying to escape their poor living conditions in Mexico and attempting to build something in the land of opportunity. They perceived the comments as an attack on illegal and legal immigrants alike. They even most likely applied emotions about people they know personally who immigrated to the US legally. Articles Criticizing https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/08/donald-trump-latino-vote- mexico-immigration https://www.thenation.com/article/trump-cant-win http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/05/politics/gop-fears-donald-trump-judge- attack/index.html http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/07/trump-mexican-comments- 120480 http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/31/daca-dreamers-donald- trump-215564 Articles Supporting http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/10/22/20-reasons-donald-trump- 2016/ http://www.breitbart.com/live/vice-presidential-debate-fact-check- livewire/fact-check-donald-trump-not-call-mexicans-rapists-criminals/ http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/08/03/polls-show-huge-public- support-donald-trumps-immigration-reforms/ I've also included on article on his recent pullback of the DACA program. This program was initiated in 2012 under the Obama Administration which allows illegal immigrants who are minors to receive work permits and 2 year visas immune to deportation. The response to this action has created a partisan reaction mirroring many similarities from Trumps immigration speech.