Bush, Obama, and Terrorism: A New Framework for Analyzing Threat Response Rhetoric

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This thesis presents a new strategy for analyzing threat response rhetoric that is grounded in the five potential responses an actor can have to a threat. An actor can (1) discuss the threat within the context of international law; (2) try to rally support for his foreign policy through (a) fear, or (b) nationalism; or (3) give in to the temptation of reinforcing in-group and out-group mentality through (a) dehumanizing the enemy, or (b) exoticizing the enemy. I elaborate on these five potential responses by linking them with the literature that explains each response's framing—just war theory, securitization theory, rally around the flag effect, social psychology, and orientalism. I summarize each of these theories and conclude with the lexical triggers that we expect to see if the actor invokes a given literature's framing to talk about the threat and the enemy. I demonstrate the effectiveness of this framework through a case study: President George H. W. Bush and President Barack Obama' terrorism rhetoric. Although I apply this new framework to presidents and look at their response to terrorism, it can be used to analyze any actor's rhetoric on any type of threat. My new approach addresses the weaknesses of the existing literature. The research is repeatable and allows for an easy comparison of multiple actors' threat response rhetoric.

    Item Description
    Name(s)
    Date
    April 15, 2016
    Extent
    163 pages
    Language
    eng
    Genre
    Physical Form
    electronic
    Discipline
    Rights and Use
    In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted
    Digital Collection
    PID
    ir:1161