American Dream Ideology: A Discourse Analysis of Bill Clinton’s Press Conferences

In a December 1997 CNN poll, President Bill Clinton was named “the most admired man living today.” Clinton’s ability to remain in power and popularity as controversy swirls around his presidency has been a frequent topic of political commentaries. How does Clinton maintain his power? How, specifically, does he persuade people?To answer these questions, I conducted a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of 4 press conferences taking place in 1997 and 1998. This paper discusses my CDA findings, organized around Halliday’s systemic, situational context framework. My discussion consists of field, details of the ideological speaking situation; tenor, relationships between Clinton, the media, and the general public; and mode, a linguistic study of verbal and nonverbal tools he uses to persuade.My data shows that Clinton persuades people by appealing to ideals held in common by the American public—American Dream Ideology. This ideology appeals to beliefs regarding children, job security, individuality, and family. By using discourse expressing these ideals Clinton is more able to persuade others to accept his positions on topics such as the economy or foreign affairs.In addition, Clinton persuades by appealing to his symbolic authority as President and by influencing press conference areas. He builds these appeals through a number of factors including his relationships with reports and the press conference set-up.

Thesis Author: Spilker, Julie Conway

Year Completed: 1999

Committee Members: Paul J. Baltes, Nancy L. Christiansen

Thesis Chair: William G. Eggington