Employs Kenneth Burke's pentad to examine rhetorical choices made by former U.S. Congressman George Hansen as he dramatized two situations: his felony conviction and his subsequent reelection bid. Suggests that Hansen's rhetoric was largely effective because it resulted in substantial identification with the voters of Idaho's Second Congressional…

This essay examines some Republican communication behaviors which account in part for accusations that the use of negative strategies was unprecedented during the 1988 presidential campaign. It also explores some of the effects of those strategies on political communication behavior during the first year of the Bush Administration. It is suggested…

This essay examines some of the campaign communication behavior during the 1988 presidential race in terms of ethical criteria for a participatory democracy. Overall, this campaign violated several standards for ethical behavior through strategies such as over-reliance on emotional appeals, ridicule, failure to focus on relevant issues, and…