The White House Speaks: Presidential Leadership as PersuasionThis work treats presidential leadership as persuasive communication. The major theories of presidential leadership found in the literature establish the central role of persuasion, and introduce the interpretive systems approach to political communication as a theoretical framework for the study of presidential leadership as persuasion. Case studies examine recent presidents' use of public persuasion to perform their leadership functions. Particular attention is devoted to coalitional constraints on presidential pardoning rhetoric, presidential leadership through the politics of division, the political significance of conflicting political narratives, the sermonic nature of much 20th-century presidential discourse, the difficulties inherent in persuading the public to make sacrifices, and the dangers of relying too heavily on public rhetoric. The concluding chapter considers the rhetoric that contributed to the demise of the Bush presidency, the election of Bill Clinton, and the challenges facing the Clinton presidency. |
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The White House Speaks: Presidential Leadership as Persuasion Craig Allen Smith,Kathy B. Smith Limited preview - 1994 |
The White House Speaks: Presidential Leadership as Persuasion Craig A. Smith,Kathy B. Smith No preview available - 1994 |
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actions administration American approach argued arguments audience authority Bush Bush's campaign Canal Carter Chapter charges choices chosen citizens Clinton coalition Committee communication confidence Congress conservative constitutional continued create crisis criticism defense Democrats discussed division economic efforts election energy establish example executive facts Files Ford Ford's foreign Gerald Ford groups important inaugural individual interest interpretive invited issue jeremiad Kennedy language laws lead leaders less letter Library logic mobilize moral narrative needs Nixon Office Panama Panama Canal pardon Party percent persuasion polarization political position preferences president presidential leadership Press problem Reagan reasons Report Republican requires responsibility rhetorical role Ronald Roosevelt Senate sense shared social speak speech Staff strategy success suggested symbolic talk tion treaties Truman United University values Washington Watergate White House York
Popular passages
Page 110 - II which the United States would possess and exercise if it were the sovereign of the territory within which said lands and waters are located to the entire exclusion of the exercise by the Republic of Panama of any such sovereign rights, power or authority.
Page 7 - In this and like communities, public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail ; without it, nothing can succeed. Consequently he who molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions. He makes statutes and decisions possible or impossible to be executed.
Page 66 - I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974.
Page 199 - House or within my campaign organization, the easiest course would be for me to blame those to whom I delegated the responsibility to run the campaign. But that would be a cowardly thing to do.
Page 56 - But the interest of the Nation must always come before any personal considerations. From the discussions I have had with Congressional and other leaders, I have concluded that because of the Watergate matter I might not have the support of the Congress that I would consider necessary to back the very difficult decisions and carry out the duties of this office in the way the interests of the Nation would require. I have never been a quitter.
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Bibliographic information
| Title | The White House Speaks: Presidential Leadership as Persuasion Praeger Series in Political Communication, ISSN 1062-5623 |
| Authors | Craig A. Smith, Kathy B. Smith |
| Contributor | Kathy B. Smith |
| Publisher | Greenwood Publishing Group, 1994 |
| ISBN | 0275943941, 9780275943943 |
| Length | 263 pages |
| Subjects | › Language Arts & Disciplines / Communication Studies Political Science / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |