Description: This book explores how presidents use speeches to shape and influence public policy. Each chapter examines a selected speech delivered by every president from Roosevelt through Barack Obama to show how language has been instrumental in directing policy.
Review Quotes:
"This book does a wonderful job of combining political science, history, and communication studies. Contributors from across disciplines unite under a single theme: the president is in a unique position to use language to influence public policy. With historical background and analysis of what each president has attempted to do, each chapter is both informative and fun to read." --Zachary Smith, Northern Arizona University
"From Teddy Roosevelt to Barack Obama, the influence of the bully pulpit is made evident from the authors' examination of presidential addresses that led to major shifts in public policy. The Bully Pulpit, Presidential Speeches, and the Shaping of Public Policy is balanced politically and the essays are thorough yet highly readable. I highly recommend this book." --Robert Watson, distinguished professor of American History at Lynn University and author of Affairs of State