Fourth Estate

The fourth estate, or fourth branch, relates significantly to the watchdog theory. The press and/or the media acts as a watch dog for the government and the other three branches. Currently, we have the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches as our core. The press sees it as their duty to watch over these three branches and the government in order to avoid corruption and ensure that everything is going the way it is supposed to. Without the fourth estate, society wouldn't be nearly as involved with politics and the government as they are now.