The Value of Inaugurals
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The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fogler Library 8-2002 The alueV of Inaugurals: Analysis of Construction Joseph M. Valenzano III Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd Part of the American Politics Commons, and the Social Influence and Political Communication Commons Recommended Citation Valenzano III, Joseph M., "The alueV of Inaugurals: Analysis of Construction" (2002). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 282. http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd/282 This Open-Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. THE VALUE OF INAUGURALS: ANALYSIS OF CONSTRUCTION BY Joseph M. Valenzano 111 B.A Providence College, 2000 A THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (in Communication) The Graduate School The University of Maine August, 2002 Advisory Committee: Dr. Sandra Berkowitz, Assistant Professor of Communication, Advisor Dr. Nathan Stormer, Assistant Professor of Communication Dr. Lyombe Eko, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication LIBRARY RIGHTS STATEMENT In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Maine, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for "fair use" copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Librarian. It is understood that any copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Date: '' 8/g/@2 THE VALUE OF INAUGURALS: ANALYSIS OF CONSTRUCTION By Joseph M. Valenzano I11 Thesis Advisor: Dr. Sandra Berkowitz An Abstract of the Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (in Communication) August, 2002 An analysis of modem mass mediated presidential inaugurals was conducted through the use of close textual analysis of each speech as well as an historical analysis of the development of the mass media since the nation's birth. In an effort to identify the goals, themes and strategies used by presidents in their inaugurals, seven pre-Kennedy and every post-Kennedy first inaugural address were analyzed. Using the work of Campbell and Jamieson (1 991) as a stepping stone for the identification of these themes, seven themes and their various strategies of enactment were uncovered. Each of these themes were found to be enacted by each president of the modem media era with two goals in mind: 1) the reconstitution of the people; and 2) to lay the foundation for policy appeals. It was found that several of these themes evolved at relatively the same time as the mass media and audience size grew, leading to the conclusion that the mass media play a role in the construction of a modem mass mediated presidential address. This role seems to be related to the notion of the evolution of audience, which in turn is related to the development of new themes and strategies within inaugural addresses. This discovery indicates that the media have become a mitigating factor speech writers must pay attention to when constructing any political address. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank several people without whose support and assistance, I would not have been able to complete this project. First, Dr. Sandy Berkowitz, my advisor, who kept me on task and showed me that I was capable of doing this sort of work. Without her aid I am quite sure I would not be writing this right now. I am incredibly grateful for all the help, guidance, and friendship that Sandy has given me over the course of the last two years. Paul Kostacopolous, the University of Maine Head Baseball Coach, who initially turned me on to graduate school and the University of Maine. He also gave me the opportunity to coach at Maine, letting me have some place to go and get away fiom my work for awhile. Last, but certainly not least, I must thank my parents for allowing me to move this far fiom home and continue my education. Their constant presence and support gave me the strength I needed to get through the long nights of writing and, sometimes writer's block, that colored my two years in Maine. When all else failed, a call home always managed to set me straight. TABLE OF CONTENTS .. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .....................................................................11 LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................vi Chapter 1. THE IMPORTANCE OF INAUGURALS............................................. 1 Justification ...........................................................................2 Research Questions ..................................................................3 Literature Review ....................................................................4 Method ................................................................................18 Parameters of the Study ............................................................23 Outline of Chapters .................................................................24 2 . THE HISTORY OF FIRST INAUGURALS ......................................... 26 Washington and Inaugural Beginnings .......................................... 32 Jackson and the People's President ............................................... 37 A 'More Perfect' Inaugural ........................................................45 'Grant-ed' the Presidency .......................................................... 54 Wilson's Words of Wisdom .......................................................60 FDR and the Communication of Crisis ..........................................68 Eisenhower: The Bridge to Modernity ........................................... 77 The Past as Precursor ............................................................... 84 3 . PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED THEMES AND VALUES .......................88 The Increasing Importance and Influence of Context .......................... 89 The Discoveries of Campbell and Jamieson .................................... 98 Investing in Authority: A Sound Political Decision ......................... 101 Humble Beginnings .............................................................. 107 Morality. or Domestic Policy? ..................................................114 Conclusion ......................................................................... 130 4 . ANALYSIS OF NEW THEMES AND VALUES ................................. 134 The Global Approach ............................................................138 Making Statements Directly to the International Audience ........ 139 America's Place in History .............................................144 Link United States to the International Community ................. 146 Outline International Goals .............................................149 Tying Global Responsibility to Central Speech Theme ............. 149 Fight the Good Fight ...........................................................150 Every Individual Plays Their Part ............................................ 160 Never Fear, the Future Will Be Here ........................................ 167 We the People .................................................................178 What I Want .....................................................................183 Conclusion .......................................................................189 5 . INAUGURAL IMPORTANCE REVISITED ......................................194 Methodological Implications .................................................205 Limitations of Research .......................................................207 Conclusions ..................................................................... 210 Further Research Directions ...............................................2 12 WORKS CITED ..................................................................................2 16 Appendix A . George Washington .............................................................. 226 Appendix B . Andrew Jackson ..................................................................229 Appendix C . Abraham Lincoln ................................................................ 232 Appendix D . Ulysses S . Grant .................................................................240 Appendix E . Woodrow Wilson .......... ....................................................... 243 Appendix F . Franklin D . Roosevelt ...........................................................247 Appendix G . Dwight D . Eisenhower ......................................................... 251 Appendix H . Jimmy Carter .................................................................... 257 Appendix I . Bill Clinton ....................................................................... 260 Appendix J . George W . Bush (43) ...........................................................264 Appendix K . Richard M . Nixon ..............................................................268 Appendix L . Ronald Reagan ..................................................................274 Appendix M . George H.W. Bush (41) ....................................................... 280 Appendix N . John F . Kennedy ................................................................ 285 BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR ...........................................................288