Characteristics OF President

Characteristics OF President

Characteristics OF President

Efforts to trace the effects of presidential communication and in particular efforts on behalf of specific legislative initiative have found small effects, seemingly mitigated in the blur of ongoing events. Yet few would go as far as to argue that presidential messages make no difference. Certainly specific efforts impact political realities, as when Truman initiated and moved public opinion on aid to Greece and Turkey, redefining the limits of the Cold War containment. Assessing presidents' ability to change hearts and minds can be seen as case-by-case success, such as Johnson and the Civil Rights Act, or failure, as when Bill Clinton's proposals emboldened opposition to his gays in the military initiative. Even when the effects are judged modest when measured by public opinion or congressional votes, impacts can become more generalized within the larger political milieu.

Presidential attempts to configure the discussion of policy or national character operate within firm parameters. Events and prevailing public mood, political enemies and competing storylines seek to influence the same eventualities. Presidential messages necessarily function in a mediated environment; an everexpending milieu of traditional media (newspapers, radio, television), complete with 24/7 news cycles and electronic communication unavailable a decade ago.

Speeches and Going Public

Presidential speeches and pronouncements remain primary modes of modifying public opinion and congressional action. Speeches are isolated following for the reasons that they dominate scholarship and are perceptually the connection between presidents and the public. Additional modes of presidential communication are addressed later in this entry.

Presidents must speak to perform their constitutional duties, stipulated or not. Roderick P. Hart's research found that presidents, with each passing administration, speak more. Policy speeches on single topics can materially influence public opinion, yet speech effects are often short-lived, with little discernable influence. The tenure of a president is strewn with ...