The Institute for the Interdisciplinary
Study of Political Rhetoric, Media and Public Opinion
Overview
Event dates: April 1–3, 2010
The complex dynamics of the 2008 presidential election highlight the importance of creating venues in which scholars and political professions meet to discuss how media and political rhetoric shape public opinion. Former President Bush’s historically low approval rating were related to his numerous rhetorical gaffes and his failure to connect with the American public. By contrast, Barack Obama’s success as a presidential candidate was linked to his effective rhetoric and ability to inspire confidence that can mobilize the nation.
Politicians may galvanize crowds through inspiring speeches, but long-term campaign momentum requires balance between style and substance. Much of this seems self-evident, yet very little actual knowledge exists about what makes some rhetorical performances succeed and others fail. Literary scholars and linguists analyze the formal and communicative aspects of political rhetoric. Political professionals often grasp practical wisdom about what works and what fails in a given context. Pollsters measure visceral reactions and political opinions. No institute, however, has tried to systematically link these various sorts of analysis, knowledge, and experience, producing a more nuanced and detailed account of what happens in the contemporary public sphere.
The Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of Political Rhetoric, Media and Public Opinion will begin during April 2010 as a three-day forum for between twelve and fifteen scholars who will discuss a particular theme. Our inaugural Institute will examine the increasing prominence and influence of the political memoir, and its specific impact on the 2008 presidential election. Throughout the prolonged 2008 presidential election, candidates from both major political parties have sought to present themselves to the public through self-authored books that detail their personal and political lives. Many of these texts have become bestsellers, influencing the electorate in as yet unexamined ways. They pose provocative questions about the relationship between the public and private self in America’s media-saturated environment.
To better understand how media and political rhetoric influence public opinion, our Institute will work with Zogby International, the prestigious polling institute located in nearby Utica, New York. The institute will benefit from the developing partnership between the University of Rochester and the polling firm’s President and Chief Executive Officer, John Zogby, arguably America’s leading pollster.