Focuses on some of the most important features of world and national political campaigns as constructed by and presented in television network news primarily in the 1976 presidential campaign. (MH)

Claims that Malthus'"Essay on Population" is preeminently a rhetorical achievement because it (1) originated from controversy; (2) traced and dramatized the effects of a principle that, in Malthus's opinion, was long known but little understood by the public; and (3) drew its power from the evocation and conscious imitation of Newton's…

Analyzes the decision to drop the atomic bomb from a rhetorical point of view, arguing that the bombs were launched because of an American commitment to a particular rhetoric that focused on the propaganda slogan "unconditional surrender." (PD)

Defines gastronomic reference, or mention of what public figures eat, as synecdoche. Illustrates how use of this rhetorical device contributed to public figures and public images in the 1980 presidential campaign. Argues that interest in gastronomic reference leads to a broader concern for how synecdoche functions in public discourse. (PD)

Investigates differing perspectives on the role played by rhetoric in the acquisition of knowledge. Concludes that rhetoric, if viewed as an act of striving for audience adherence and consensus, can be a tool of critical inquiry which moves its practitioners (scientists, philosophers, or public communicators) toward apprehending reality. (PD)

Discusses metafiction (contemporary fiction) and the new relationship between subject and reader that challenges traditional practice of point of view in fiction. Suggests ways for the interpreter to deal with the performance of metafiction. (JMF)

Examines the origins and activities of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) on the labor scene from 1905 to 1917. Investigates the evolution of song as a rhetorical device used by the IWW. Focuses on the lyrics and usage of selected songs produced by the organization. (JMF)

Demonstrates the importance of extra-legal texts in contextualizing and challenging judicial authority by analyzing Black Abolitionist responses to "Scott v. Sandford" (the "Dred Scott" decision). Concludes that responses to Dred Scott demonstrate how legally excluded classes may persuasively challenge constitutional authority…

Reappraises Edward R. Murrow's "Report on Senator McCarthy" from the documentary series "See It Now." Argues that the text situates itself between the genres of objective news documentary and of public argument through the ironic "use" of objectivity as a fabricated strategy of appeal. (SR)

Analyzes 140 pastoral letters issued by the American Catholic bishops before, during, and after Vatican II (1947 through 1981). Suggests that doctrinal rhetoric has a tremendous capacity to endure accelerated social and institutional change, and that the rhetorical impact of Vatican II was quickly institutionalized in the public communications of…

Investigates the underlying rhetorical functions of how Benjamin Franklin used the medal to praise the national characters of France and the United States in those two countries, while he also used it to influence government policy in Malta and to vindicate himself from criticism in England. (KEH)

Analyzes Alexander Richardson's clothing metaphors which connected Ramist precepts to social values and philosophic assumptions drawn from the fields of fashion, psychology, and Puritan theology. Describes how these metaphors presented the Puritan community with an orientation toward listening and inculcated the Puritan speech community with…

Describes the combination of circumstances--cultural, political, and educational--in mid-eighteenth century Edinburgh, Scotland, which led to the formation of the Regius Chair of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres. Claims this development reflects the social situation rather than a preconceived design for either the discipline of rhetoric or literature.…

Examines the legend Eugene Debs fostered, calling for a renewal of American virtue. Argues that a more sympathetic view of Debs' radicalism is achieved by looking at him against the Judeo-Christian tradition of Old Testament prophecy. (RAE)

Discusses myth, metaphor, and subjectivity in the popular science fiction film series sometimes referred to as the "Alien Trilogy." Traces how images of rape, birth, and self-annihilation deconstruct liberalized myths of gender and family, destabalizing the conventional frame through which the rhetorical subject is constructed. (SR)