Government Propaganda Tactics

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A society should be aware of its government and how far the government will go to protect them. A society should know what role they will play in their own protection, and what they will stand for in the name of freedom and safety. A society should not go too far in sacrificing one 's freedom for safety. A person should be able to live their own life without the government stepping in and approving/disapproving of everything. If a society relies solely on the government, the government will become too powerful. Such a government would take control and encroach in all aspects of the citizens’ life, including information, education, and jobs. When society sacrifices freedom in the name of safety, they turn control of their lives over …show more content…

The larger the threat, the more governmental involvement is necessary. Convincing citizens they need government to handle the situation, governments often use propaganda and control of the available information. The threat described by the government often has some origin with truth. The truth is then exaggerated, expanded, embellished, and repeated in order to sway societal opinions. Fear and promise of prosperity are two common motivation tactics used in government propaganda. During the 20th Century, both these propaganda tactics were effectively used to motivate and entire country into war. “The Nazi regime used propaganda effectively to mobilize the German population to support its wars of conquest….” (Author, Year) When Hitler came into power, he told citizens his government would get the people out of their current poverty and conditions they were living in. Hitler told the people what they wanted to hear. Hitler promised the struggles they faced after the first World War would go away, and they would prosper as a society. Hitler promised revenge against those he claimed had done this to the German people. Hitler was able to use propaganda to motivate the German people to follow him. The citizens of Germany gladly gave Hitler control of their lives for the promise of security and wealth. Once incremental control was relinquished to Hitler, his government took large steps and then total control over German