How have changes in technology and the media transformed the ways presidents communicate with the public and pursue their policy agendas?
Topic 2.7 Presidential Communication: explain how communication technology has changed the president's relationship with the national constituency and the other branches.
A focused answer to AP US Government Topic 2.7: how presidents use the bully pulpit, the State of the Union, and modern media to shape opinion and pressure Congress, and how changing communication technology has reshaped the office.
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What this topic is asking
Topic 2.7 examines how the president communicates with the public and uses that communication as a political tool. The College Board wants you to understand the bully pulpit, the formal moments like the State of the Union, and how changing technology has reshaped the relationship between the president, the public, and the other branches.
The bully pulpit
Because the president is the single most visible figure in American politics, an appeal to the public can generate pressure on Congress: if a president rallies voters behind a bill, wavering members may feel compelled to support it. This is informal power at work, turning attention into leverage.
Formal and informal moments of communication
- The State of the Union. The Constitution requires the president to inform Congress on the state of the union; in practice this has become a televised address that sets the legislative agenda for the year.
- Press conferences and addresses. These let the president frame events and respond to opponents.
- Social media and direct digital communication. These let the president reach supporters instantly, without the filter of journalists.
How technology changed the office
Why this matters for the exam
Topic 2.7 connects to the broader theme of presidential power (Topics 2.4 to 2.6) and to media and public opinion later in the course. It appears in Concept Application (a president using media to pressure Congress) and Argument Essays on whether technology has strengthened the office.
Try this
Q1. Define the bully pulpit. [Recall]
- Cue. The president's use of the visibility and prestige of the office to shape public opinion and advocate an agenda.
Q2. Explain how social media has changed presidential communication. [Short explanation]
- Cue. It lets the president speak directly and instantly to the public, bypassing the press and Congress, which strengthens the bully pulpit but exposes it to a fragmented, polarized audience.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of College Board exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AP 2018 (style)3 marksA president uses a prime-time televised address and a series of social media posts to build public support for a stalled bill, pressuring reluctant members of Congress. A. Identify the informal presidential tool described. B. Explain how changing technology has strengthened this tool. C. Explain one limit on its effectiveness.Show worked answer →
A Concept Application FRQ, 3 points (A, B, C).
A. Identify: the bully pulpit (using the visibility of the office to shape public opinion).
B. Explain technology: television and social media let presidents reach the public directly and instantly, bypassing the press and Congress to build pressure.
C. Explain a limit: a polarized audience may tune out the opposing party's voters, and direct appeals cannot force Congress to act if it refuses.
Markers reward naming the bully pulpit and tying technology to direct communication.
AP 2021 (style)6 marksDevelop an argument about whether modern communication technology has made the president more or less able to influence policy. Use at least one piece of evidence from one of the following: the Constitution of the United States or Federalist No. 70. Provide a defensible thesis, evidence and reasoning, and a response to an opposing perspective.Show worked answer →
An Argument Essay FRQ, 6-point rubric.
Thesis (1): e.g. "Modern technology has made the president more influential, because direct communication lets the executive set the national agenda and pressure Congress."
Evidence (up to 3): the president's role as a national figure under Article II; Federalist No. 70 on a single, visible executive; the modern bully pulpit.
Reasoning (1): explain how direct appeals translate public attention into legislative pressure.
Alternative perspective (1): concede that polarization and media fragmentation can limit reach, then argue the agenda-setting advantage remains.
Related dot points
- Topic 2.4 Roles and Powers of the President: explain how the president can implement a policy agenda.
A focused answer to AP US Government Topic 2.4: the formal (Article II) and informal powers of the president, including the veto, commander-in-chief, appointments, treaties, executive orders, and how a president implements a policy agenda.
- Topic 2.5 Checks on the Presidency: explain how the president's agenda can create tension and frequent confrontations with Congress.
A focused answer to AP US Government Topic 2.5: how Congress, the courts, and the Constitution check the president through the override, power of the purse, confirmation, impeachment, and judicial review, and why the president's agenda clashes with Congress.
- Topic 2.6 Expansion of Presidential Power: explain how presidents have interpreted and justified their use of formal and informal powers.
A focused answer to AP US Government Topic 2.6: how presidential power has expanded over time, the argument of Federalist No. 70 for an energetic executive, and the debate over limited versus expansive interpretations of the office.
- Topic 2.3 Congressional Behavior: explain how congressional behavior is influenced and constrained by election processes, partisanship, and divided government.
A focused answer to AP US Government Topic 2.3: how elections, gerrymandering, the trustee and delegate models, partisanship, divided government, and gridlock shape the behavior of members of Congress and the policies they produce.
- Topic 2.15 Policy and the Branches of Government: explain the extent to which governmental branches are responsive and accountable to the public when making policy.
A focused answer to AP US Government Topic 2.15: how Congress, the president, the courts, and the bureaucracy interact across the policymaking process, the tension between responsiveness and gridlock, and how to synthesize the whole unit.
Sources & how we know this
- AP United States Government and Politics Course and Exam Description — College Board (2020)