Making Sense of Political Ideology: The Power of Language in Democracy

Bernard L. Brock · Mark E. Huglen · James F. Klumpp · Sharon Howell

loka 2005 · Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

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Political positions in the United States today are ideologically chaotic, and there are significant prices to pay for that chaos. The nation has not reached a crisis yet in her modern political gridlock, but predicting the time when the current generation will face the difficulties of earlier times of crisis such as the Civil War, the Great Depression, or World War II is a difficult task. When that time comes, leaders who can communicate effectively to foster understanding and political unity—and who can respond to a crisis with skilled direction—will be a vital concern.

Making Sense of Political Ideology explores the erosion of ties among ideology, language, and political action. Analyzing political language strategies, it shows how to dissect language so we can better understand a speaker's ideology. The authors define four political positions—radical, liberal, conservative, reactionary—and apply their techniques to contemporary issues such as the war on terrorism. They emphasize the dangers of staying trapped in political gridlock with no consensus for governmental direction and propose that the ability to identify and bridge positions can help political communicators toward constructing coalitions and building support for political action.

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Bernard L. Brock is professor emeritus at Wayne State University and author of several books on rhetorical analysis and Burkean theory. Mark E. Huglen is assistant professor of communication at the University of Minnesota at Crookston, and author of several books on rhetorical theory. James F. Klumpp is professor of communication at the University of Maryland. Sharon Howell is chair of the Department of Communication at Oakland University.