Political Keywords Using Language that Uses Us

by Hart, Roderick P.; Jarvis, Sharon E.; Jennings, William P.; Smith-Howell, Deborah

• ISBN13: 9780195162387
• ISBN10: 0195162382
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-09-23
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal in the United States, but that statement does not hold true for words. Some words carry more weight than others-they seem to work harder, get more done, and demand more respect. Political Keywords: Using Language That Uses Us looks at eight dominant words that are crucial to American political discourse and how they have been employed during the last fifty years. Based on an analysis of eleven separate studies of political language, Political Keywords helps readers to understand what these terms mean and how they are used. For example, the book tracks what politics now means to modern commentators, how school-teachers impress certain values upon the nation's children by invoking the office of the president, and why an innocent word like government sometimes makes people so upset. It details how the people are referenced in political talk and how the media portray themselves. The book also considers the work done by political parties, political promises, and political consultants because, together, they shed special light on modern elections. Combining social science with subtle forms of cultural interpretation, Political Keywords: Using Language That Uses Us provides a fresh look at both American politics and American language. It is an ideal text for undergraduate and graduate courses in political communication, political language, political campaigns, media and politics, political psychology, public opinion, rhetorical criticism, contemporary public address, and presidential rhetoric. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Roderick P. Hart is the Shivers Chair in Communication and Professor of Government at the University of Texas at Austin Sharon E. Jarvis is Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Texas at Austin William P. Jennings is Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati Deborah Smith-Howell is Professor and Chair of the Communication Department at the University of Nebraska-Omaha

Table of Contents

Figures	p. vii
Tables	p. ix
The Possibilities of Language	p. 1
The Language of Politics	p. 19
Whither Politics? An Evolving Construct	p. 21
What Is Politics? An Inventory of Meanings	p. 44
The Language of Democracy	p. 65
The Government: A Troubling Ally	p. 67
The Media: Powerful Despite Themselves	p. 87
The People: Constructing an Electorate	p. 108
The Language of Leadership	p. 129
The President: Lessons in Political Socialization	p. 131
The President: How Institutions Preserve Themselves	p. 150
The President: Managing Democratic Tensions	p. 166
The Language of Campaigning	p. 183
The Party: An Irrepressible Institution	p. 185
The Promise: Imagining the Future Together	p. 206
The Consultant: A Synecdoche for All of Politics	p. 226
Conclusion: Language in Retrospect	p. 246
Index	p. 265
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