Bush the Conservative - p. 16
Conclusion
This paper sought to explain how ideologically driven elites can gain support for their political agendas through non-ideologically driven masses. A model was proposed where ideological keywords would be used to create a bridge between and ideological idea and a non-ideological message. This message would be wrapped in propaganda techniques, i.e. group-based, emotionally laden arguments, would be used to convey this message which would be in contrast to persuasive techniques, i.e., individual-based, logical arguments, when speaking to elite audiences.
To investigate this, the bridge was built backwards. First, analysis indicated that there was, indeed, a significant difference between the rhetoric used before elite audiences and non-elite audiences. Specific keywords were identified to assist in this analysis. It was noted that elite audiences were likely to hear keywords that identified economic theory and facts while this was lacking in non-elite audiences.
A close reading of the individual statements, as well as a cumulative analysis, showed that propaganda techniques were used with non-elite audiences. The more formal the setting was, the less likely the President was to use propaganda and more likely he was to use persuasion.
The next step found a political philosophy that matched the President’s usage of the political keywords found in the non-elite speeches. The match turned out to be An Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism, which is marked by an antagonism towards taxation as a violation of principles of freedom and liberty. It was also discovered that this philosophy was in alignment with the underlying principles of monetarist economic theory – the same economic theory the President cited in support of his policies.
Go on to Page 17
This paper sought to explain how ideologically driven elites can gain support for their political agendas through non-ideologically driven masses. A model was proposed where ideological keywords would be used to create a bridge between and ideological idea and a non-ideological message. This message would be wrapped in propaganda techniques, i.e. group-based, emotionally laden arguments, would be used to convey this message which would be in contrast to persuasive techniques, i.e., individual-based, logical arguments, when speaking to elite audiences.
To investigate this, the bridge was built backwards. First, analysis indicated that there was, indeed, a significant difference between the rhetoric used before elite audiences and non-elite audiences. Specific keywords were identified to assist in this analysis. It was noted that elite audiences were likely to hear keywords that identified economic theory and facts while this was lacking in non-elite audiences.
A close reading of the individual statements, as well as a cumulative analysis, showed that propaganda techniques were used with non-elite audiences. The more formal the setting was, the less likely the President was to use propaganda and more likely he was to use persuasion.
The next step found a political philosophy that matched the President’s usage of the political keywords found in the non-elite speeches. The match turned out to be An Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism, which is marked by an antagonism towards taxation as a violation of principles of freedom and liberty. It was also discovered that this philosophy was in alignment with the underlying principles of monetarist economic theory – the same economic theory the President cited in support of his policies.
Go on to Page 17
© 2004 by Xpatriated Texan
<< Home