Presidential ethos : leadership as goal and tool in the rhetoric of recent American presidents
- WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Brandon Marshall Rice (Creator)
- Institution
- Western Carolina University (WCU )
- Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
- Advisor
- Beth Huber
Abstract: This thesis discusses the role of leadership as an aspect of ethos in presidential rhetoric.
In it, a terminology is established to deal with two original applications of leadership
ethos in presidential rhetoric: accumulating, or building up leadership status as an
independent goal, and wielding, or using the established ethos of the presidency to affect
some other goal of persuasion. These terms provide the basis for an approach to
analyzing presidential rhetoric. Support for this approach is drawn from the theoretical
basis of authorities reaching as far back as Aristotle up to the much more U.S.-specific
observations of David Zarefsky, Richard Neustadt, and others. Applications of this
division are then applied to speeches from U.S. presidents from Reagan to Obama.
Finally, suggestions for the usage and application of the established accumulating/
wielding dichotomy are summarized.
Presidential ethos : leadership as goal and tool in the rhetoric of recent American presidents
PDF (Portable Document Format)
321 KB
Created on 7/1/2010
Views: 7484
Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- Language: English
- Date: 2010
- Keywords
- Ethos, Presidential, Rhetoric
- Subjects
- Presidents -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Presidents -- United States -- History -- 21st century
- Communication in politics -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Communication in politics -- United States -- History -- 21st century
- Rhetoric -- Political aspects -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Rhetoric -- Political aspects -- United States -- History -- 21st century
- Political leadership -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Political leadership -- United States -- History -- 21st century