How we feel about Politics Experience Convention Expectation Disposition

Framing Issues Who owns these words, conservatives or liberals? Security Defense Prosperity Faith Family Work Freedom Tolerance Equality Justice Diversity Environment Equity Opportunity

Republican Playbook by Frank Luntz, 2005 Americans draw upon a shared well of symbols and images. As our policies are produced with these concepts in mind—freedom, liberty, opportunity—there are timeless American images that match them. Communicating policies within their context and harnessing these symbols to match their principles is perhaps the most powerful form of communication there is.  NEVER SAY: Undocumented Workers INSTEAD SAY: Illegal Aliens The Dems have adopted the phrase "undocumented worker" but you shouldn’t. Call them exactly what they are. In fact, instead of addressing "immigration reform," which polarizes Americans, you should be talking about "border security." NEVER SAY: Government INSTEAD SAY: Washington The fact is, most Americans appreciate their local government that picks up their trash, cleans their streets, and provides police and transportation services. Washington is the problem. Remind voters again and again about Washington spending, Washington waste, Washington taxation, Washington bureaucracy . . . . NEVER SAY: Drilling for oil INSTEAD SAY: Exploring for energy

George Lakoff on Framing of Immigration, 2006 Framing is at the center of the recent immigration debate. Simply framing it as about “immigration” has shaped its politics, defining what count as “problems” and constraining the debate to a narrow set of issues. . . . illegal immigrant, illegal alien, illegals, undocumented workers, undocumented immigrants, guest workers, temporary workers, amnesty, and border security. . . . The current situation can also be seen as a civil rights problem. The millions of people living here who crossed illegally are for most intents and purposes Americans. They work here. They pay taxes here. Their kids are in school here. They plan to raise their families here. For the most part, they are assimilated into the American system, but are forced to live underground and in the shadows because of their legal status. They are denied ordinary civil rights. . . .

Rhetoric, the Queen of the Liberal Arts Aristotle formalized rhetoric as the art of discovering the available means of persuasion in a particular situation. Civic humanists such as Isocrates and Cicero place rhetoric at the center of the liberal arts to teach citizens to draw upon received beliefs to address changing situations to achieve shared purposes. Civic humanists view public debate as vital to democracy and to developing the higher capacities of human nature. Such debates provide opportunities for developing collaborative reasoning, creative problem solving, and shared purposes.

Rhetorical analysis focuses on the resources The elements of rhetorical situations: 1. audience   2. author 3. Topic These elements can be used to characterize purposes: 1. persuasive, 2. and self-expressive, and 3. informative   And rhetorical strategies 1. emotional appeals, 2. ethical appeals, and 3. logical appeals 

Rhetorical analysis? Rhetorical analysis often focuses on the elements of argument: claims, evidence, and assumptions. Arguments are often abbreviated into enthymemes when authors and readers share common assumptions. Analyses of commonplace assumptions or topoi explore how groups draw on received values to address changing situations to achieve shared purposes. As such rhetorical analysis examines the practical uses of values. Rhetorical analysis can help us reflect upon our own assumptions and compare them to others. One of the oldest ways to learn rhetoric is to argue for and against a position. This method was used to help students assess the weaknesses in their thinking and anticipate counterarguments. More than just a means to win, this method can help foster reflections on why one thinks as one does.

Haidt’s Five Moral Values Harm/Care – agreed on by both liberal and conservative Fairness/reciprocity – agreed on by both liberal and conservative Ingroup loyalty—only among humans do you find large groups, though liberals are more independent Authority/respect—liberals reject authority, while conservatives embrace it Purity/sanctity—while political right moralizes sex, left moralizes food and other aspects of self-control