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Real Fake News: The Colbert Report And Affective Polarization, Jeffrey J. Skoroda
Real Fake News: The Colbert Report And Affective Polarization, Jeffrey J. Skoroda
Senior Independent Study Theses
This Independent Study examines the relationship between political satire and affective polarization. Affective polarization is a newly growing form of political polarization wherein partisans are polarized based on mutual dislike for opposing partisans rather than ideological disagreements. Political news has been linked to this recent trend in polarization. Over the past two decades, political scientists have taken an interest in investigating the impact of political satire programs like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report through the same lens as traditional political news. These satirical news programs implement satire, a more complex form of comedy that can require more cognitive …
Dueling For Their Votes: A Study On The Impact Of Presidential Debate Rhetoric On Public Opinion, Daniel J. Cohen
Dueling For Their Votes: A Study On The Impact Of Presidential Debate Rhetoric On Public Opinion, Daniel J. Cohen
Senior Independent Study Theses
The debates are key events for presidential candidates to influence public support for their policies. This study examines the impact of rhetorical strategies during presidential debates on public perceptions of unpopular issue stances. Using generic criticism, I examined the first two 2012 debates between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney and uncovered four rhetorical strategies used by the candidates: issue framing, appeals to authority, use of rebuttals, and appealing to liberal and conservative presumptions. I then tested an example of issue framing from each candidate to determine its effectiveness in persuading public opinion on unpopular issue stances. My results showed that …