Empty chambers and cancelled conferences deny the public a vital feedback loop when politicians are presenting their ideas.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Political rhetoric
Displaying 1 - 20 of 47 articles
The president's language sounded less presidential and more inflammatory in the weeks leading up to the riots.
The messianic language used in relationship to Donald Trump and QAnon conspiracy theories have their roots in Christian expectations of messianic deliverance.
Because dramatic tension fuels attention, Trump's words work to generate tension, anxiety and conflict. We need to react with civility, care and calm to undo the cycle of attention and persuasion.
A politician who wields a comeback with skill can use it as both a bludgeon and a shield, damaging the opponent without hurting their own popularity with voters.
My research shows that when politicians use hate speech, it's not just empty rhetoric or political theater: Domestic terrorism increases, in the US and in other countries.
Policy and promises matter, but the way politicians articulate them can be just as important — especially on live television.
Dog whistles constitute coded language that only some voters can hear. But Trump does not hide his bigotry when talking about Mexican 'rapists,' the 'China virus' and 'law and order.'
Democrats and Republicans are speaking about impeachment with dramatically different language. The winner of this frame war will succeed in shaping how Americans understand the impeachment inquiry.
Each spin of the news cycle hits us with another 'bombshell,' while everything from free speech to race has been 'weaponized.' What's the effect of being relentlessly exposed to metaphors of war?
Difficult to pronounce, synecdoche is the form of rhetoric used by President Trump when he told four Democratic congresswomen of color to “go back” to the “corrupt” countries they came from.
A polarized electorate is divided into tribal camps that demonize each other. That's the setting for the upcoming midterm elections. If the US continues down this path, democracy will suffer.
In Kenneth Burke's 'The War of Words,' the late rhetorical theorist picks apart the little ways news articles can subtly influence readers – and harden divisions.
Trump's surrogates have deployed tried and true rhetorical techniques to defend the president.
Aristotle coined the term "enthymeme" to refer to arguments, words and ideas that are broadly accepted among the people of a nation. So what happens when enthymemes start to disappear?
In the abstract, this near-mythic figure represents bravery, hard work and manliness.
It was remarkable to see Donald Trump stay on script for a full 80 minutes. It also proved what a gruelling tradition the State of the Union is.
The Conversation's experts annotate Treasurer Scott Morrison's 2017-18 budget speech.
For all their defiant talk of 'business as usual', savvy leaders know that any good response to a crisis is also an emotional performance.
Whatever you think of her politics, May's decision to rise above divisive tough talk was an admirable one.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor of Communication, Texas A&M University
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Associate Professor in Linguistics, Macquarie University
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Senior Lecturer in Education, University of Westminster
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Lecturer in Public Policy, University of Cambridge
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Chair of Academic Board, Victoria University
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Dennis Altman is a Friend of The Conversation.
Professorial Fellow in Human Security, La Trobe University
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Professor, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong
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Research Fellow, University of Exeter, University of Exeter
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Professor of Political Communication, University of Leeds
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British Politics Lecturer, University of Liverpool
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Reader in Social and Political Psychology, Coventry University
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Professor of Classics, La Trobe University
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Danielle Wood is a Friend of The Conversation.
Chief executive officer, Grattan Institute
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Distinguished University Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University
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Assistant researcher, University of Sydney
