The Language of

Politics

Adrien Beard

Making speeches

(the rhetoric of persuasion)

List of the three:

• It is a three-part list used in political speech, speech acts or casual conversations that results attractive to the speaker and listener because it is embedded in certain cultures as giving a sense of unity and completeness.

• “Friends, comrades and fellow South Africans”

• “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”

• “Education, education, education”.

Contrastive pairs:

• Two parts which are in some ways in

opposition.

• “One small step for man; one giant leap for

mankind.”

• “I stand before you not as a prophet but as

a humble servant of you, the people… We

have waited too long for our feedom. We

can no longer wait.” (Mandela)

- Repetition:

• can be lexical, semantic or phonological.

“Where there is discord, may we bring

harmony.

Where there is error, may we bring truth.

Where there is doubt, may we bring faith.

Where there is despair, may we bring hope.”

(Margaret Thatcher, when elected for the

first time, 1979

Use of pronouns:

• There are 5 ways politicians can introduce a measure:

• 1) I,

• 2) We

• 3) referring to their position (“The chancellor must…”)

• 4) no agentive pronoun (use of passive),

• 5) use of metonymy (“This budget will help…”).

Winning elections: slogans

• negative campaigning or positive methods?

• Television as the most important political

battleground nowadays

• use of logos or slogans which briefly and

memorably suggests something. Part of the

political parties campaigns and persuasive

package

• they appear on posters, party broadcasts and

wherever the parties are advertising themselves.

Slogans may contain or involve:

• commands: “Vote Green”, “Invest in your future”, etc.

• reference to place: “Win the best for Scotland”, “Because Britain deserves better”.

• reference to time directly or by implication: “The future is ours”, “Enough is enough”

• Ambiguity of pronouns and playing with meaning (“Who wants a Clegg/leg?”, “It’s up to you”, “Don´t throw it away”, “Yes, we can!)”)

• Noun-phrases: “New hope”,

• Ellipsis: omission of words, clauses, statements deliberately. “New life for Britain”.

• Unreferenced comparatives: “Britain deserves better”

Winning elections- POSTERS

• Characteristics: brief,

eye-catching,

various colours

easy to read

• Placed on advertising billboards

• Use of passive forms (allows the agent to remain unidentified)

• Use of will or going to

(future or suggestion that something

definite is going to happen)

Including significant visual material,

not only the slogan or logo.

Usually representations of leading

political figures, especially the

party leaders themselves in an

impressive light

Party leader:

relaxed, smiling, looking upwards to

a better future, with his sleeves

rolled up (meaning that he´s

working), wearing suitable clothes

for high office, looking confident

and successful.

• Political posters show their

opponents in a ridiculous fashion.

Repetitions