Often, advertising uses persuasion to inform the public; in fact, it is the most important aspect of advertising. Advertising would simply be a conversation between the communicator and its recipients if persuasion were not present. Although the fundamental goals are to inform and persuade, it is up to the public to differentiate between factual information and unethical persuasion tactics. The persuader wants the consumer to act or believe in a certain way. The question is whether the actions sought are positive or negative. In the modern world, it has become more difficult to differentiate between truths and untruths; mainly due to technological advancements in advertising media. Differentiating between facts and propaganda is becoming increasingly difficult when it comes to politics. Whether it is an election for Student Senate or the United States General Election for President; many factors weigh into the decision-making process. During an election year, persuasive tactics become essential to the success of a campaign. Even though many voters have made up their minds when they are first bombarded by the political campaign, these pre-developed opinions are not seen as an impenetrable force by the activist. The activist usually recognizes these opinion patterns and instead seeks to convince them from a different angle, most often from the emotions surrounding the issues rather than the issues themselves. This paradigm shift in political beliefs was first observed on September 7, 1964, when a blockbuster commercial for Lynden Johnson aired on NBC. The ad now known as “Daisy Girl” forever changed political beliefs in advertising. With this change came the issue of ethics...... middle of paper......ess allows the consumer to be an informative consumer at the voting booth.ReferencesAdkins, RE (2008). The evolution of political parties, campaigns and elections: significant documents, 1787-2007. Washington, DC: CQ Press. Evans, J.D. (1992). The art of persuasion: political propaganda from Aeneas to Brutus. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Mann, R. (2011). Daisy Petals and Mushroom Clouds LBJ, Barry Goldwater, and the ad that changed American politics. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press. Michael R. Hyman; Richard Tansey; James W. Clark (1994). Advertising Ethics Research: Past, Present, and Future: Journal of Advertising, Vol. 23, no. 3, Ethics in Advertising pp. 5-15. : Taylor & Francis, Ltd. Larson, Charles U. Persuasion: Reception and Responsibility. Australia; United Kingdom: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.