Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Political Science
The Dehumanization Of Immigrants And Refugees: A Comparison Of Dehumanizing Rhetoric By All Candidates In Three U.S. Presidential Elections, Amanda Warnock
The Dehumanization Of Immigrants And Refugees: A Comparison Of Dehumanizing Rhetoric By All Candidates In Three U.S. Presidential Elections, Amanda Warnock
The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research
dehumanization theory by tracking and comparing dehumanizing rhetoric used by all presidential candidates during the 2008, 2012, and 2016 campaigns. Using data hand-collected from all presidential speeches conducted during these periods, including accounting for ad-libbing by Donald Trump, I find that Trump was distinctive in his dehumanization of immigrants and refugees, far surpassing all other candidates. His language surrounding these groups focused heavily on (1) using nonhuman language to describe their actions and migrations, (2) assigning criminality and viciousness to immigrants, (3) repeating stories of the deaths of American citizens by immigrants, (4) saying that immigrants and refugees have values …