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Yes, Ronald Reagan's Rhetoric Was Unique—But Statistically, How Unique?

  1. CHERYL SCHONHARDT-BAILEY1,*,
  2. EDWARD YAGER2,*,
  3. SAADI LAHLOU1,*

Article first published online: 19 JUL 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-5705.2012.03990.x

Issue

Presidential Studies Quarterly

Presidential Studies Quarterly

Volume 42, Issue 3, pages 482–513, September 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

SCHONHARDT-BAILEY, C., YAGER, E. and LAHLOU, S. (2012), Yes, Ronald Reagan's Rhetoric Was Unique—But Statistically, How Unique?. Presidential Studies Quarterly, 42: 482–513. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-5705.2012.03990.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    London School of Economics and Political Science

  2. 2

    Western Kentucky University

*Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey is a reader in political science at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her most recent books include From the Corn Laws to Free Trade and Deliberating Monetary Policy.
Edward Yager is a professor of political science at Western Kentucky University. His teaching and research interests focus on modern democratic theory, American political thought, and the American presidency, and he is the author of Ronald Reagan's Journey.
Saadi Lahlou is director of the Institute of Social Psychology at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and scientific director of the Cognitive Technologies programme at Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (Paris).

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 19 JUL 2012
  2. Article first published online: 19 JUL 2012

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We use automated textual analysis to compare Ronald Reagan's rhetoric with that of presidents Woodrow Wilson through Barack Obama, using their State of the Union speeches. We are able to assign statistical significance to the thematic content, and to depict spatially the shifting dimensionality in themes used by presidents. We find strong evidence for Reagan's usage of the civil religion rhetoric: over half (59%) of the discourse in his seminal and 48% in his State of the Union speeches focus on civil religion. We also find an apparent shift in modern presidential rhetoric, from themes concerned with (1) institutions, to ones focused more on (2) individuals, families, and children.

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