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Technological Factors That Have Transformed The Presidency Since 1945

1347 Words6 Pages

Chris Rosas
Professor Bernstein
The American Presidency
7. Discuss the technological factors that have transformed the Presidency since 1945 – including nuclear and thermonuclear weapons, the mass media, and the growing ease and speed of travel and communication domestically and internationally.
Introduction
Technological factors have been instrumental in the transformation of the presidency since 1945 and have resulted in drastic changes in the way we and the world interact with them and also which have led to better run administrations and have been a benefit to our democracy. The presidency of the United States has gone through major evolutions in regard to not only technology and the use of it but also in matters of reaching out to citizens …show more content…

In such a way, the media in the modern day highlights the powers of the president in a clearer way than before. Presidents have had a chance to push their agenda and shape the public relations through the evolving media. It is quite astonishing that we have moved from fireside chats with FDR, TV with Kennedy, social media branding with Obama and now policy by a tweet by the great American embarrassment today. Kennedy, who had benefited greatly from his televised debates with Nixon in 1960, regarded television as an ally. Television has allowed the president a very special way of influencing public opinion on issues of their interest and agenda. Moreover, the presidents now have the chance to connect with the people in a way that was unthinkable a few generations ago. But the question remains whether the executive of a vast bureaucratic state, even with the tools of instant communication and social media, truly can be the direct representative of the people. The president has become more transparent and accountable due to the influence of the social media; hence, meetings and agendas that he or she takes are available to the people and of public record. Therefore, the media, as a technological tool, constantly evolving through the decades, has contributed greatly to the change of presidential duties and …show more content…

The new technology and the freedom of the press have enabled the president to communicate with the public directly and also to act as a watchdog. Before 1945, the president had little interaction with the people, while modern presidents have become more transparent as they interact with the people through the press. Kennedy was the first president to allow press conferences to be televised without restriction… and no president since then, minus the current distraction, has avoided the press corps and not used them as a way for communication with the nation. The press corps has enabled citizens and journalists the ability to ask questions and criticize the presidency over the

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