Political discourse has become more negative, disrespectful, and less fact-based. According to studies, US political discourse has significantly changed after the 2016 elections. US presidential debates in 2016 and 2020 are notorious for being disrespectful, negative, and based on rumors (Yaqub et al., 2017). According to Lockhart (2018), former President Donald Trump’s political discourse has brought change to US political discourse. Discourse that is respectful and considered about both supporters and opponents can effectively support a person’s argument and stay compliant. For example, Roger Williams and the founders of Rhode Island recognized the beneficial effects of religious freedom and respectfully supported their argument on this topic.
Presidential debates that set an example of how debates should be conducted set a lousy standard, thus negatively affecting political discourse. It is common for people to learn from leaders how to present their arguments and support their point of view.
Therefore, by publicly making the public discourse less respectful, political discourse in the US, in general, has become more negative, as well. Moreover, it can influence the way the general public communicates by setting an example. As a result, people at work and schools might start sharing with less respect because of the influence of negativity in political discourse. To eliminate the problem of negativity in political discourse, the following actions might be done. Firstly, the order in political discourse should be preserved. Secondly, interrupting each other should be prohibited. Lastly, using false facts should not be tolerated.
‘The light of a new day on the horizon could have been suitable for Lincoln’s campaign. Lincoln is a prominent figure in US politics and has brought many changes to the political arena. This slogan could have been suitable for him since his objectives were to change certain establishments in US politics. Lincoln was the first US president to abolish slavery. Thus, the slogan that symbolizes hope and change is suitable for him.
References
Lockhart, M. (2018). President Donald Trump and His Political Discourse: Ramifications of Rhetoric via Twitter (1st ed.). Routledge.
Yaqub, U., Chun, S. A., Atluri, V., & Vaidya, J. (2017). Analysis of political discourse on twitter in the context of the 2016 US presidential elections. Government Information Quarterly, 34(4), 613–626. Web.
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