Topic for Spring 2022: Analyzing Political Rhetoric
Persuasion is central to politics, and rhetoric has been described as one of the most transparent forms of political behavior, given that it is always clear what politicians are willing to say. The careful analysis of political rhetoric can, consequently, provide valuable insights into some of the harder-to-observe aspects of political life. Students will learn how to conduct rigorous "rhetorical political analysis," along with some related forms of interpretive content analysis. Assignments will include analyses of various forms of political talk and a final research project.