26 May paper of english
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 rhetorical concepts like the three appeals (ethos, logos, pathos), and how rhetoricians cater their messages to a specific audience.
Assignment Details
Write a 1000-1200 word rhetorical analysis with one primary source and two secondary sources. Below is a detailed description of what all this means and a step-by-step guide.
First off, note that a rhetorical analysis has three components:
1. Artifact. This is the item that you will be analyzing. To be considered a “rhetorical” artifact, it must be designed to persuade someone to do something (example: TV commercials try to persuade a target demographic, say American adults suffering from allergies, to ask their doctors about a name brand allergy med). For this assignment, your artifact will be a TV commercial for a presidential election campaign (more on this later). A proper description of the artifact must include descriptions of these three items:
1. The artifact itself. In the case of a TV commercial, what is shown on the screen? What kind of characters are there? Describe the music, colors, images, etc. Don’t assume readers have seen the commercial or will see it–describe it for them.
2. The original context. When did the commercial air? What was going on politically at the time?
3. The target audience. Who was the commercial designed to persuade? You can’t just say “Everyone” or “undecided voters.” Every advertisement has a particular audience in mind, one whom the advertiser feels is susceptible to being persuaded. Maybe it’s targeted at older people, young voters, women, minorities, working class, the wealthy, etc.
2. Theoretical framework. This is the rhetorical theory you’ll be using to analyze the artifact. For us, this is Aristotle’s rhetoric, which includes the terms Pathos (emotional appeal), Logos (logical appeal), and Ethos (credibility appeal). The theory and how to apply it is clearly explained in the textbook, Understanding Rhetoric, so read it carefully. Mention the terms you’ll be using (ethos, logos, etc.) and what they mean.
3. Evaluation. After describing the artifact and your theoretical framework, you then apply the theory to the artifact to evaluate it. Remember, it doesn’t matter whether you find the commercial persuasive or whether the candidate actually won the election. All that matters is whether the commercial effectively reached its target audience at the time it was aired.
First, visit The Livingroom Candidate Website and browse the political commercials. You can also use a political commercial from YouTube or similar site, but I recommend the Livingroom Candidate because it provides some context and background information on the commercial that you will find helpful.
The commercial will be your PRIMARY source. The information you need to cite the commercial is available on the site–just click the “credits” button on the video to see it.
In addition to this primary source, you also need at least two SECONDARY sources to support your arguments or supply additional material. One of these sources should be your Understanding Rhetoric textbook. The other is up to you, but I suggest starting at the website usa.gov. For instance, a simple search for “John F. Kennedy election” turned up this helpful page about the election of 1960. Here is a list of sources recommended on the Livingroom Candidate site. You can also, of course, go to the library and easily find a book on the president, election, or historical era in question. However, be wary of citing obviously biased or prejudiced sources. A website funded by a political party or “action” group, for instance, will likely be heavily biased.
You must cite whatever additional materials you use in this project using MLA format. You can find information about citing sources in your textbooks or this page. Remember to use MLA, not APA!
Please note: You are not being asked to judge whether the values of the politician are right or wrong; you are judging whether the commercial is rhetorically effective in persuading its intended audience. You might disagree entirely with the commercial and its message; that’s fine. However, you should still be able to recognize if it was put together well and resonated with its intended audience.
Audience
The audience for this essay is more formal than the last. You must cite your sources and use academic terms such as “pathos” and “logos.” Avoid second-person (“you”), slang, and avoid sounding biased or preachy. I shouldn’t be able to guess whether you’re a Republican or Democrat by reading your analysis; if it’s done correctly (e.g., objectively), your own personal biases will be kept out of the paper.
Collaboration Bonus Option
Instead of working alone on this assignment, you may partner up with up to two other students in the class. You will need to form the group on your own (perhaps by posting a notice in the discussions part of this site), and then notify me with the name of each of your group members. You will get a 5% bonus for partnering up with one person, and 10% for two.
Readings
Your textbook Understanding Rhetoric very clearly explains what rhetoric is and how do a rhetorical analysis. You should read it carefully before submitting this assignment. You can also read this page on the wikibook.
Tips and Suggestions
Following are tips and suggestions for getting an A on this project.
Make sure your introduction has a solid thesis statement. For this paper, you can model your thesis statement along these lines:
· [Name of commercial] is rhetorically effective because __.
· The “Daisy” advertisement is rhetorically effective because it employs strong pathos appeals to frighten voters into supporting Johnson’s campaign.
· The “I Love America” advertisement was rhetorically effective because it firmly established Bush’s credibility as a politician and as a father.
· Dukakis’s “Tank” advertisement was not rhetorically effective because instead of solidifying the candidate’s credibility with the military, it turned him into a laughingstock.
One of the main reasons students lose points on this assignment is failure to cite sources. You may find information on Wikipedia or another website, but should never put it into your paper without citing it. For example:
The 1960 election between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon was one of the closest elections in the history of the United States.
This is considered plagiarism, because you didn’t cite where you got the information. You might think–well, I just happen to know that. But why should I take your word for it? In any case, it never hurts to mention where the information came from–it makes you look more credible as a scholar:
The 1960 election between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon was one of the closest elections in the history of the United States (JFK Presidential Library and Museum, “Campaign”).
You may be worried about where to find sources to use for this project. It can be a real challenge finding unbiased materials on political matters with Google. Can I really trust the JFK Presidential Library and Museum to be objective? Possibly, but I’d be better off finding a more neutral source, such as this book available at the SCSU library: The real making of the president : Kennedy, Nixon, and the 1960 election . I can trust this book, because it’s published by a University Press and thus underwent a peer-review process. Besides, most professors will be impressed that you took the trouble to go to the library instead of just relying on Google or Wikipedia like everyone else. It never hurts to make a great impression on a professor!
The SCSU Library has an easy-to-use search feature for finding books and online articles. Just make sure to look at a variety of articles to find the most useful and credible. If you’re having trouble finding material, use the Ask-a-Librarian Tool.
Sloppy MLA formatting will also cost you points on this assignment. If you’re unsure about your formatting, just go to the Write Place and ask for help. In addition to handouts, they can take you through the process step-by-step. Furthermore, you can do this online if you can’t travel to campus. There’s really no excuse to mess up your works cited page when so much help is freely available.
Put some thought into determining the target audience of the commercial. Many students skimp on this part, claiming that their commercial is “intended for everybody” and that there is no target. Consider whether the images, arguments, and even the music might resonate with some demographics better than others. For instance, a shot of someone hunting might be a way to reach out to NRA members, whereas shots of solar panels shows an appeal to environmentally-conscious people. A commercial that repeatedly shows traditional families is probably appealing to social conservatives.
Remember that this is a rhetorical analysis, and you will be penalized if you do not use rhetorical terms (ethos, logos, pathos, kairos, etc.) when analyzing your commercial. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to watch my lectures associated with rhetoric and read the chapters on it in Understanding Rhetoric. Losh’s book is required for this essay; cite and use it accordingly.
Our website has a team of professional writers who can help you write any of your homework. They will write your papers from scratch. We also have a team of editors just to make sure all papers are of HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE. To make an Order you only need to click Ask A Question and we will direct you to our Order Page at WriteDemy. Then fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Fill in all the assignment paper details that are required in the order form with the standard information being the page count, deadline, academic level and type of paper. It is advisable to have this information at hand so that you can quickly fill in the necessary information needed in the form for the essay writer to be immediately assigned to your writing project. Make payment for the custom essay order to enable us to assign a suitable writer to your order. Payments are made through Paypal on a secured billing page. Finally, sit back and relax.
About Writedemy
We are a professional paper writing website. If you have searched a question and bumped into our website just know you are in the right place to get help in your coursework. We offer HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE Papers.
How It Works
To make an Order you only need to click on “Order Now” and we will direct you to our Order Page. Fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Are there Discounts?
All new clients are eligible for 20% off in their first Order. Our payment method is safe and secure.