A presidential speech reveals a great deal about the President, the nation and the politics and issues of the day and the general historical context. What the President chooses to speak about tells us what issues s/he believes are important and what the Executive branch wants us to think is important. What s/he excludes is equally revealing. The audience is not just the voting public. Congress, the federal bureaucracy, state governments, foreign leaders, interest groups and big money contributors, among others, are intended to get overt or covert messages from a speech. Great care is taken when writing and delivering presidential speeches so that the phrasing, word selection, and rhythm reflect the desired image of the speaker and achieve his/her public policy and political goals. In this course, students will read, hear and watch Presidential speeches from George Washington to the present and engage in in-depth written analysis of them. Prerequisite: ENG 101 or HUM 112 or WLD 101
ENG 101 or HUM 112 or WLD 101