Argues that the 1988 Presidential Debates were debates both by definition and in the strategies employed by the candidates. Notes that these debates are rhetorical events in the larger framework of a political campaign. Suggests that criteria for "winning" should be consistent with the purpose of political debate. (MM)

Points out that the condensed, mediated arguments found in today's public debates resemble Aristotle's enthymeme. Illustrates the similarities between classical and postmodern arguments through an analysis of the rhetoric of David Duke, and discusses the implications for how scholars conceptualize argument in the public sphere. (SR)

Extends politeness theory to political debates arguing that an important element of political leadership resides in a candidate's ability to manage political image through politeness strategies in a debate. Reveals differences in face saving strategies in the debates. Considers implications for the importance of debates as campaign events and the…

Discusses the relationship of debate theory to the 1988 presidential and vice presidential debates. Proposes that the press's involvement retrieves the debates from the category of "joint appearances." Argues that major definitional difficulties are resolved by recognizing the press as one of the adversaries in the debate process. (MM)

Studies televised political advertising during the October 1993 Canadian federal election campaign to identify referential argumentation and provide a basis for ethical analysis. Identifies a number of "ad" arguments (ad hominem, ad verecumdiam, ad misericordiam, etc.) according to four types of reference. Discusses two criteria in the…

Uses the 1986 Supreme Court decision "Bowers v. Hardwick" to examine the uses of "conceptual segregation" in legal discourse. Identifies the exclusionary rhetoric in the majority opinion, and evaluates the persuasive force of the dissenting opinion. Concludes that opposing conceptual segregation requires that arguments be…

Analyzes 12 Utah Supreme Court cases. Finds that syllogistic objectivity was prevalent but that dialectical objectivity could be facilitated by legal requirements or judicial involvement. Finds that judicial involvement could be facilitated by publicity, the importance of the legal issue, and/or an appointment system of judge selection. (SR)

Examines argumentative flexibility as a variable influencing responses to three argumentative situations. Compares trait argumentativeness to argumentative flexibility as a predictor of argumentative behavior. Concludes by discussing the validity of the argumentative flexibility construct. (SR)

Uses President Bush's commencement speech to compare and contrast the "link and impact turnaround," an accepted form of argument in academic debate, with the "linguistic turnaround" as executed in political discourse. (NH)

Uses think-aloud protocols to triangulate previous research on the cognitive editing of messages. Finds evidence for existence of all but one of Hample and Dallinger's editorial standards that arguers (undergraduate students) apply in deciding whether to suppress or produce an idea in persuasive discourse. Shows these editorial standards are used…

Investigates how institutions argue about the idea of public good. Studies how institutions rely on the Contingent Valuation Method (to determine the worth of despoiled environmental resources) to argue that critical-public argumentation theory benefits from critique that reveals how institutional arguments structurally foreclose the ability of…

Uses vice president Albert Gore Jr.'s book "Earth in the Balance" as a case study to examine the relationship between analogy and "presence." Argues that presence is a flexible critical construct allowing for examination of the relationship between the style, substance, and structure of arguments. Explores relationships between…

Discusses the function of media nihilism--the rhetoric of "crisis and failure"--in the 1988 Presidential Debates. Examines journalists' debate questions, noting that they painted an almost wholly negative portrait of America. Suggests that the candidate who effectively "skewers" the media on its own hypocrisy should be declared…

Investigates how perceptions shape an argument (between friends) and vice versa. Shows the functions of perceptual agreement, perceptual disagreement, and perceptual understanding. (SR)

Describes the context of the Valdez disaster in terms of an organizational crisis. Discusses the nature of scientific argument and the norms of scientific ethos as they represent an appropriate standard for measuring the ethics of profit-seeking organizations during times of crisis. (NH)