The Transformation of Political Oratory

This edited collection offers a timely examination of rhetoric and contemporary political culture, and the specific forces and dynamics that have contributed to modern political oratory in selected Western and non-Western societies. It brings together multidisciplinary contributions to provide a comprehensive and detailed exploration regarding: (1) political arguments and rhetorical appeals and strategies used by politicians in the public sphere and the extent to which these arguments and appeals evolved within a particular country, (2) public officials’ speaking styles and how these styles evolved over time, and (3) the way politicians crafted and recalibrated their rhetoric in response to shifting social, cultural, historical, and psychological contexts in diverse national settings. Each chapter included in this anthology explores the specific underlying historical and social forces that affected and determined modern era oratory in a particular country. Together, the authors develop a global survey of modern political rhetoric in societies from West to East, offering cutting-edge analyses to assess the rationale behind public communication and to create a framework evaluating the unfolding role and effect of such rhetoric in contemporary politics. Scholars of communication, rhetoric, and political behavior will find this book of particular interest.