A #2: Rhetorical Analysis Instructions
Purpose
Americans are constantly bombarded by political rhetoric, particularly during election years.
Presidential elections are hotly disputed. We still have many examples of political campaigning
fresh in our memories. Much of this rhetoric seems empty and meaningless; what does it mean
to say that “I’m for America,” or “I’m running on a platform of family values?” The purpose of
this project is to help you learn about political rhetoric. You will learn to identify the different
types of appeals, analyze political jargon, and consider how politicians use rhetoric to influence
voters. A good understanding of political rhetoric is an absolute necessity for citizens in a
democracy.
This project is designed to help you learn about classical and modern rhetorical concepts like
the three appeals (ethos, logos, and pathos), audience, and identification.
Assignment Details
First, visit
The Livingroom Candidate
website and browse the political commercials
Use this link and pick Mitt Romney vs Barack Obama year 2012 as your chosen comercial!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (http://www.livingroomcandidate.org). You can also use a commercial from YouTube or other
site for a political ad, but I recommend the Livingroom Candidate because it provides some
context and background information on the commercial that you may find helpful.
Your 1,000-1,500 word essay should do the following:
1.DESCRIBE the commercial and its historical/political context
2.DETERMINE the intended audience
3.IDENTIFY the types of appeals and issues addressed in the commercial
4.EVALUATE the effectiveness of the commercial.
The commercial will be your PRIMARY source; you also need at least two other SECONDARY
sources to support your arguments or supply additional material. These secondary sources can
benewspaper or magazine articles, political websites, or political or rhetorical texts. An paper
from the International Conference on Language and Education titled, “Language, Power and
Manipulation: The Use of Rhetoric in Maintaining Managerial Influence,” by Maya Khemlani
David (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322386004… and_Manipulation_The_Use_of_Rhetoric_in_Maintaining_Managerial_Influence) is accessible and quality source for further understanding the way many politicians use and control the
image they share with potential voters Use in Citations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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