Know Yourself, Define Your Enemy: Presidential Rhetoric and American Strategic Culture
Abstract
The power of the president lies in the ability to persuade different audiences. However, the president does not exist within a vacuum and there is an undercurrent of strategic culture that influences the bounds of what he wants to say and what he is expected to say. Whilst there have been studies examining presidential rhetoric previously, there are few studies that consider rhetoric in the context of strategic culture. The use of binaries to reduce or simplify issues is a technique that, whilst not unique to the U.S., sits comfortably within both presidential rhetoric and the strategic culture of the U.S., and is of particular interest.Four presidents will be examined using the case studies of Iran and North Korea. By using these two countries the examination of rhetoric against strategic culture can be evaluated consistently, rather than exploring a number of different policy areas or issues.The analysis shows that presidents are constrained in their rhetoric by strategic culture. It is also demonstrated that, whilst reduction to binaries is sometimes politically expedient, the result of error, or the revelation of complexity, can be costly. Moreover, culturally influenced presidential rhetoric has, to some degree, shaped the reality of the U.S. and has considerable implications for the future.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 10, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1017764
Entities
People
- Gareth Prendergast
Organizations
- National Defense University