Questions of Public Will and Private Action: The Power of the Negative in the Reagans'"Just Say No" Morality Campaign.

Mackey-Kallis, Susan; Hahn, Dan F.

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Peer reviewed

ERIC Number: EJ425470

Record Type: Journal

Publication Date: 1991

Pages: N/A

Abstractor: N/A

ISBN: N/A

ISSN: ISSN-0146-3373

EISSN: N/A

Questions of Public Will and Private Action: The Power of the Negative in the Reagans'"Just Say No" Morality Campaign.

Mackey-Kallis, Susan; Hahn, Dan F.

Communication Quarterly, v39 n1 p1-17 Win 1991

Uses Kenneth Burke's writings on the negative in language to account for the rhetorical appeal of the Reagans'"just say no" rhetoric. Argues that this strategy advocates private solutions to public problems, reasserts the authority of the government to define both problems and solutions, and undermines the vitality of the public sphere. (SR)

Descriptors: Communication Research, Discourse Analysis, Moral Values, Persuasive Discourse, Private Sector, Public Policy, Public Sector, Rhetorical Criticism, Speech Communication

Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research

Education Level: N/A

Audience: N/A

Language: English

Sponsor: N/A

Authoring Institution: N/A

Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A