The Poverty and Welfare Rhetoric of Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan
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UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations 1-1-2007 Defining eality:r The poverty and welfare rhetoric of Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan Andrea Lyn Finan University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/rtds Repository Citation Finan, Andrea Lyn, "Defining eality:r The poverty and welfare rhetoric of Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan" (2007). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 2230. http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/hkov-c02c This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DEFINING REALITY: THE POVERTY AND WELFARE RHETORIC OF LYNDON JOHNSON AND RONALD REAGAN by Andrea Lyn Finan Bachelor of Arts University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2005 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Communication Studies Department of Communication Studies Greenspun College of Urban Affairs Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas December 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1452241 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 1452241 Copyright 2008 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway PO Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced witfi permission of tfie copyrigfit owner. Furtfier reproduction profiibited witfiout permission. Thesis Approval The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas November 9 2007 The Thesis prepared by Andrea L. Finan E n titled DEFINING REALITY; THE POVERTY AND WELFARE RHETORIC OF LYNDON JOHNSON AND RONALD REAGAN is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Communication Studies hxiiiiimntioii Conniiiilcc Clinn Deiin of llu- G nuiiinic Collc'^c Exniiihuition Coiiiiuittce Member . 1 / ' ^ y y " /ÎLxaiuifinlionxlomiuilUv M c^pér Grndiiatc (m/Lyr faculty Represcnlnthv PR/1017-53/1-00 11 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT Defining Reality: The Poverty and Welfare Rhetoric of Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan by Andrea Lyn Finan Dr. David Henry, Examination Committee Chair Professor of Communication University of Nevada, Las Vegas This project examines the centrality of rhetorical definition in case studies of public argument over U.S. policy on poverty and welfare in the twentieth century. The starting point is research on presidential rhetoric, wherein one line of inquiry entails the exploration of the “bully pulpit” as an advantage to chief executives seeking to construct perceptions of social reality. Such construction frequently establishes the foundation of an incumbent’s persuasive strategies. Utilizing the poverty and welfare rhetoric of Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan, this thesis argues that rhetorical definition was central to presidential rhetoric on these critical social controversies in the 1960s and 1980s. In order to advance their proposals both presidents found it essential to provide definitions of “the poor,” to delineate the government’s responsibilities to the disadvantaged, and to articulate the wisdom of their own policies in meeting those responsibilities. The analysis reveals that, in different ways, both presidents met with mixed success in matching the expectations they created through their discourse, with the realities achieved through their policies. Ill Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT........................................................................................ in ACKNOWLEDGMENTS........................................................................................................... v CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION: DEFINITION AND PRESIDENTIAL RHETORIC....................................................................................................................................1 Poverty’s Place in Presidential Rhetoric ......................................................................2 Defining Reality...............................................................................................................7 Poverty Rhetoric .............................................................................................................11 Analytical Approach ...................................................................................................... 15 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER TWO JOHNSON’S RHETORICAL CONSTRUCTION OF POVERTY ...22 The Rediscovery of Poverty : American Attitudes of the Early 1960s...................23 Government Intervention: Johnson’s Rhetorical Command Center ....................... 32 Children of Poverty: Johnson Defines Another Victim ............................................37 American Values in the Rhetoric of the War on Poverty .........................................43 Conclusion ......................................................... 48 CHAPTER THREE REAGAN REDEFINES POVERTY AND WELFARE..................55 Reagan Attacks the War on Poverty ..................................................... 58 Welfare as a Trap: Reagan’s Redefinition of Government A id ..............................62 The Solution: Protecting the Truly Needy ..................................................................66 Us vs. Them: Reagan’s Strategy of Dissociation ......................................................75 The End Result ........................................................................................................... 77 Conclusion................................................................................................ 79 CHAPTER FOUR CONCLUSION: TWO INCOMPATIBLE REALITIES...................83 Presidential Rhetoric: the Power of Definition ......................................................... 88 The War Continues: Poverty in Contemporary Political Rhetoric ......................... 90 C onclusion ..................................................................................................................... 93 BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................................... 96 VITA........................................................................................................................................... 107 IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my committee members for their invaluable help and input. Specifically, Dr. Burkholder for not only inspiring me to become a Communications major, but introducing the idea of graduate school. Without your influence, I would not have pursued a master’s degree. I must thank Dr. Valenzano for his endless advice on this paper, my continuing education, and life. Thank you for always having faith in my abilities. To Dr. Moehring for introducing me to poverty literature and The Other America, the foundation of this project. Had you not emphasized the importance of Harrington’s work, I would never have considered this topic—thank you. Finally, Dr. Henry—words are inadequate to express my thankfulness for your constant support, encouragement, and brutal honesty without which I would have been a completely different student. More importantly, it is those qualities that continue to inspire me to be better student. I must also thank my Hilton family for their support and understanding in the final stages of this product. It meant so much to me when many of you took a moment to ask me about this project, or praise my progress. Especially Megan, thank you for your encouragement, and your unique ability to keep me focused on a positive conclusion. Graduate school has yielded many friends and supporters, but this would have been a completely different experience had it not been for my dearest friend, Allison. I am so grateful we went through this together! Erie and Frac. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Most importantly, I would like to thank my parents for reading every paper, listening to every idea, never allowing me rest on mediocrity, and always believing in