Reconciling Free Trade, Fair Trade, and Interdependence - The Rhetoric of Presidential Economic Leadership

Conti examines presidential rhetoric on trade, providing a detailed analysis of presidential trade arguments and strategies throughout American history. She then concentrates on the rhetoric of contemporary presidents, who have had to contend with both the burgeoning trade deficit and the displacement of military competitiveness with post-cold war economic competitiveness. Despite vast disparities in governing philosophies and strategies, Presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton all preached the virtues of free trade while continuing a policy of select protectionist actions.

As Conti suggests, the arcane details of trade policy, the continuing pervasiveness of nontariff barriers, and the impending negotiation of international trade agreements combine to make presidential leadership on economic issues critical. How effective that leadership can be is, in large part, dependent upon the effectiveness of presidential rhetoric. Students, scholars, and researchers in the field of speech communication and rhetoric, political communication, public affairs, and the presidency will find this a stimulating survey.

List of contents

Series Foreword by Robert E. Denton, Jr.
Preface
Introduction
Presidential Rhetoric on Trade: A Historical Overview
Trade in the Era of the Cold War: Maintaining and Building Political Alliances
President Reagan's Trade Rhetoric: Maintaining Consistency Despite Increasing Interdependence and a Growing Trade Deficit
President Bush Embraces a New World Order: Foreign Cooperation and Domestic Confrontation
President Clinton Engages Trade: Economics to the Forefront
Conclusion: The Rhetoric of Intermestic Issues
Selected Bibliography
Index

About the author

DELIA B. CONTI is Assistant Professor in Speech Communication at Penn State University, McKeesport. Her research interests and earlier writings have been in presidential rhetoric, political communications, and womens's studies.

Product details

• Authors: Delia B. Conti, Conti Delia B.
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.03.1998
• EAN: 9780275961091
• ISBN: 978-0-275-96109-1
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; USA, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Economic History, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / International / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / History & Theory, COMPUTERS / Information Theory, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / Semantics, HISTORY / United States / General, Economic history, Political science & theory, United States of America, USA, History of the Americas, Political science and theory, Information theory, Semantics, discourse analysis, stylistics, International Trade, International trade and commerce, Semantics, discourse analysis, etc, Politics, Law, and Government