How did the government in Fahrenheit 451 gain control over the people?

Near
the end of Part 1, Beatty explains to Montag how the government gained control over the society,
including why reading literature is banned. He explains that the people gave up their rights in
the name of equality. But, according to Beatty, the move away from books came with the advent of
mass mediamovies, condensed versions of novels, etc.and the need for citizens to have
information so "you can read all the classics; keep up with your neighbors."

In addition, this movement resulted in the desire to forbid people, regardless of their
ethnicity or minority status, to feel sorry for themselves. Today, this would be called
"political correctness," but according to Beatty, the new laws were instituted because
"we can't have our minorities upset and stirred." 

Beatty goes on
to explain how and why minorities have been upset and speaks about Little Black Sambo and Uncle
Tom's Cabin, but he continues to discuss how society, in total, would rather not think about
these things. He says society would rather focus on other ideas, such as mass media and
sports. 

The end game, in regards to the new government controls, was to have
firemen be "custodians of our peace of mind, the focus of our understandable and rightful
dread of being inferiors; official censors, judges, and executors."  At the end, Beatty
says that government did not take control of the people, rather the people gave the government
control.