Nas sessões do TCU, o Ministério Público só é obrigado a manifestar-se nos processos de tomada ou prestação de contas, nos atos de admissão de pessoal e de concessão de aposentadoria, reforma e pensão, bem como nos incidentes de uniformização de jurisprudência e nos recursos.

Considere a seguinte situação hipotética. Empresa responsável pela construção de um gasoduto entre a Bolívia e o Brasil, em seu processo de prestação de contas, relativas ao exercício de 2002, teve acórdão proferido pelo TCU, que julgou as contas regulares com ressalvas, dando quitação aos responsáveis. Da decisão definitiva, por comportar recurso de reconsideração, com efeito suspensivo, o Ministério Público junto ao TCU pretende recorrer, por entender ser caso de contas julgadas irregulares. Nessa situação, compete ao procurador interpor o recurso, para que outro colegiado aprecie a decisão recorrida, negando-lhe ou não provimento.

A função judicante é expressa quando o TCU exerce a sua competência infraconstitucional de julgar as contas de gestão dos administradores públicos. Entretanto, no tocante às prestações de contas apresentadas pelo governo federal, compete ao TCU apenas apreciá-las e emitir parecer prévio, já que compete ao Congresso Nacional julgá-las, com base na emissão do parecer emitido pela comissão mista permanente de senadores e deputados.

Propaganda

Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of large numbers of people. Instead of impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense presents information in order to influence its audience. The most effective propaganda is often completely truthful, but some propaganda presents facts selectively to encourage a particular synthesis, or gives loaded messages in order to produce an emotional rather than a rational response to the information presented.

The aim of propagandism is to influence people's opinions or behaviors actively, rather than merely to communicate the facts about something. For example, propaganda might be used to gather either support or disapproval of a certain position, rather than to simply present the position, or to try to convince people to buy something, rather than to simply let them know there is some thing on the market.

An appeal to one's emotions is, perhaps, a more obvious, and more common propagandism method than those utilized by some other more subtle and insidious forms. For instance, propagandism may be transmitted indirectly or implicitly, through an ostensibly fair and balanced debate or argument. This can be done to great effect in conjunction with a broadly targeted, broadcast news format. In such a setting, techniques like "red herring"*, and other ploys are often used to divert the audience from a critical issue, while the intended message is suggested through indirect means.

In English, "propaganda" was originally a neutral term used to describe the dissemination of information in favor of any given cause. It was formerly common for political organizations, as it had started to be for the advertising and public relations industry, to refer to their own material as propaganda. During the 20th century, however, the term acquired a thoroughly negative meaning in western countries, representing the intentional dissemination of often false, but certainly "compelling" claims to support or justify political actions or ideologies. Now, it carries strong negative (as well as political, mainly) connotations. Because of the negative connotations the word has gained, today it is uncommon to admit producing propaganda, although opposing parties sometimes accuse each other of producing propaganda.

*red herring: something not relevant that confuses you or takes your attention away from what you should be concentrating on.

Idem, ibidem.

In relation to the above text, judge the following item.

Non-obvious, indirect, harmful messages can shape opinion or behavior.

Public opinion

Public opinion as a concept gained credence with the rise of "public" in the eighteenth century. This concept came about through the process of urbanization and other political and social forces. For the first time, it became important what people thought, as forms of political contention changed.

The rapid spread of public opinion measurement around the world is a reflection of the number of uses to which it can be put. Governments have increasingly found surveys to be useful tools for guiding their public information and propaganda programs and occasionally for helping in the formulation of other kinds of policies.

Public opinion can be influenced by public relations and political media. Additionally, mass media utilizes a wide variety of advertising techniques to get their message out and change the minds of people. A continuously used technique is propaganda.

The tide of public opinion becomes more and more crucial during political elections, most importantly elections determining the national executive.

Internet: <www.wikipedia.org> (adapted).

Based on the text above, judge the following item.

The expression "The tide of public opinion" means a tendency of people to think or feel in a particular way.

Public opinion

Public opinion as a concept gained credence with the rise of "public" in the eighteenth century. This concept came about through the process of urbanization and other political and social forces. For the first time, it became important what people thought, as forms of political contention changed.

The rapid spread of public opinion measurement around the world is a reflection of the number of uses to which it can be put. Governments have increasingly found surveys to be useful tools for guiding their public information and propaganda programs and occasionally for helping in the formulation of other kinds of policies.

Public opinion can be influenced by public relations and political media. Additionally, mass media utilizes a wide variety of advertising techniques to get their message out and change the minds of people. A continuously used technique is propaganda.

The tide of public opinion becomes more and more crucial during political elections, most importantly elections determining the national executive.

Internet: <www.wikipedia.org> (adapted).

Based on the text above, judge the following item.

The pronoun "it" refers to "public opinion measurement".

Public opinion

Public opinion as a concept gained credence with the rise of "public" in the eighteenth century. This concept came about through the process of urbanization and other political and social forces. For the first time, it became important what people thought, as forms of political contention changed.

The rapid spread of public opinion measurement around the world is a reflection of the number of uses to which it can be put. Governments have increasingly found surveys to be useful tools for guiding their public information and propaganda programs and occasionally for helping in the formulation of other kinds of policies.

Public opinion can be influenced by public relations and political media. Additionally, mass media utilizes a wide variety of advertising techniques to get their message out and change the minds of people. A continuously used technique is propaganda.

The tide of public opinion becomes more and more crucial during political elections, most importantly elections determining the national executive.

Internet: <www.wikipedia.org> (adapted).

Based on the text above, judge the following item.

The verb "came about" means happened.

Public opinion

Public opinion as a concept gained credence with the rise of "public" in the eighteenth century. This concept came about through the process of urbanization and other political and social forces. For the first time, it became important what people thought, as forms of political contention changed.

The rapid spread of public opinion measurement around the world is a reflection of the number of uses to which it can be put. Governments have increasingly found surveys to be useful tools for guiding their public information and propaganda programs and occasionally for helping in the formulation of other kinds of policies.

Public opinion can be influenced by public relations and political media. Additionally, mass media utilizes a wide variety of advertising techniques to get their message out and change the minds of people. A continuously used technique is propaganda.

The tide of public opinion becomes more and more crucial during political elections, most importantly elections determining the national executive.

Internet: <www.wikipedia.org> (adapted).

Based on the text above, judge the following item.

When it comes to the formulation of other kinds of policies, the government always disregards public opinion.

Public opinion

Public opinion as a concept gained credence with the rise of "public" in the eighteenth century. This concept came about through the process of urbanization and other political and social forces. For the first time, it became important what people thought, as forms of political contention changed.

The rapid spread of public opinion measurement around the world is a reflection of the number of uses to which it can be put. Governments have increasingly found surveys to be useful tools for guiding their public information and propaganda programs and occasionally for helping in the formulation of other kinds of policies.

Public opinion can be influenced by public relations and political media. Additionally, mass media utilizes a wide variety of advertising techniques to get their message out and change the minds of people. A continuously used technique is propaganda.

The tide of public opinion becomes more and more crucial during political elections, most importantly elections determining the national executive.

Internet: <www.wikipedia.org> (adapted).

Based on the text above, judge the following item.

Governments have discovered the importance of public opinion surveys.

Public opinion

Public opinion as a concept gained credence with the rise of "public" in the eighteenth century. This concept came about through the process of urbanization and other political and social forces. For the first time, it became important what people thought, as forms of political contention changed.

The rapid spread of public opinion measurement around the world is a reflection of the number of uses to which it can be put. Governments have increasingly found surveys to be useful tools for guiding their public information and propaganda programs and occasionally for helping in the formulation of other kinds of policies.

Public opinion can be influenced by public relations and political media. Additionally, mass media utilizes a wide variety of advertising techniques to get their message out and change the minds of people. A continuously used technique is propaganda.

The tide of public opinion becomes more and more crucial during political elections, most importantly elections determining the national executive.

Internet: <www.wikipedia.org> (adapted).

Based on the text above, judge the following item.

Public opinion can determine the kind of information or propaganda that the government will release.