Economic frames : transitional rhetoric under Clinton, Bush, and Obama.

Date

2013-05

Authors

Kurr, Jeffrey A.

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Worldwide access.
Access changed 8/26/15.

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Abstract

During boom and bust periods, the dynamic status of the economy has become a perennial issue in the political arena. In this thesis, I engage in a rhetorical criticism analyzing how three presidents, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, rhetorically framed economic conditions to justify legislative solutions. I examine how each president prescribed policy solutions during his first months in office. In particular, I argue: Clinton constituted national identity around economic concerns to push his 1993 budget plan; Bush reinterpreted the nation-as-family metaphor to justify his 2001 tax cuts; and Obama injected crisis rhetoric into the American Dream to champion his 2009 stimulus. This analysis provides a foundation for understanding the econo-rhetorical leadership role of the president and the implications it has on framing congressional and public deliberation.

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Keywords

Public address., Presidential rhetoric., Economic rhetoric., Clinton, Bill, 1946-, Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946-, Obama, Barack.

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