A good concession speech will use what rhetorical scholars call ‘transcendent rhetoric,’ which emphasizes conciliatory, unifying language.
Articles on Political rhetoric
Displaying 61 - 80 of 81 articles
Why is figurative language more powerful – and what feelings exactly does it stir in an audience?
An expert in political rhetoric singles out Trump’s repeated use of reification – the tendency to treat people as things – and the role it’s played in his tortured response to the leaked tape.
Australian politicians – unlike their American counterparts – have largely abandoned the art of stirring speeches. Good rhetoric doesn’t equal good policy, but at least it’s evidence of imaginative thinking.
The same forces that drive belief in conspiracy theories are the ones driving the rise of Donald Trump. So it’s no wonder that, less than two months until the election, he continues to dabble in and promote them.
From Alfonso the Wise’s bawdy songs of slander to Ronald Reagan’s sunny smile, politics and humor have gone hand-in-hand for centuries. But no one seems to be laughing anymore.
Could their affinity for a certain type of television drama help explain why they’re drawn to his rhetoric?
Aristotle would laugh at Donald Trump – but despite breaking millennia-old rules of political speech, he’s still storming ahead. Why?
Trump’s speech was called ‘dark,’ while Clinton let some optimism in.
Trump appeared surprisingly presidential. According to a scholar of American political rhetoric, there were echoes of Roosevelt, Eisenhower and Reagan.
Unscrupulous politicians are adept at using regressive story lines that feed insecurities. That could be dangerous ahead of South Africa’s hotly-contested municipal elections.
Two experts in political rhetoric explain how one candidate has used rhetorical devices like framing and ‘argumentum in terrorem’ to stoke fear and attract voters since the Orlando nightclub shooting.
The only problem with an appeal to fairness is there is no single understanding of what the word means.
The faultlines in democratic politics are clear. On one side is a system of democracy that is bad at making people feel represented. On the other are anti-politician performers like Donald Trump.
Research from the University of Maryland suggests that ‘Trump culture’ is part of human culture, and has its roots in warfare, famine and natural disasters.
An expert in American political rhetoric explains why Trump’s controversial retweets are actually an extremely effective rhetorical device.
According to an expert in political rhetoric, we shouldn’t underestimate the power of the candidates who can skillfully tap into voter resentments.
A politician’s final statement as leader is their chance to have the last word. Tony Abbott’s speech was telling in both what he chose to say and not to say.
A budget speech that fails to discuss basic measures of how the economy going is revealing in itself. Joe Hockey is the first treasurer since at least 1981 not to mention GDP.
Whenever an Australian government runs into trouble we hear calls for a clearer narrative. The latest contribution comes in a thoughtful article from Waleed Aly. Aly points to the similar undermining of…
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Professor of Communication and Journalism, Texas A&M University
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Senior Lecturer and Senior Digital Learning Developer, UCL
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Associate Professor in Linguistics, Macquarie University
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Liberal Arts Professor of Political Science, Penn State
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Roger J. Kreuz is a Friend of The Conversation.
Associate Dean and Feinstone Interdisciplinary Research Professor, University of Memphis
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Assistant Professor of German and Global Studies, Michigan State University
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Dennis Altman is a Friend of The Conversation.
Vice Chancellor's Fellow and Professorial Fellow, Institute for Human Security and Social Change, La Trobe University
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Professor of Modern History, University of Leeds
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Assistant researcher, University of Sydney
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Associate Professor of Communication Studies and Affiliate Faculty in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing, The University of Texas at Austin
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Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University; Institute for Humane Studies
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Associate Professor in Public Policy and Administration, Boise State University
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Professor, University of Montana
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Chief executive officer, Grattan Institute
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PhD Researcher in Performance and Politics, University of Surrey