Skip to Main Content

Search for Sections – Grid View

Back to Course List

Title: U.S. Presidential Rhetoric
Course Section Number: RHE-370-01
Department: Rhetoric
Description: The U.S. president has become, by many estimates, the most powerful person in the world. This course considers how such power in contemporary mediated society is connected to the president's use of rhetoric. Specifically, students will explore how contemporary presidents use rhetoric to govern, with particular attention to the relationship between presidents and the American people. The course material will include presidential rhetoric but also theoretical and rhetorical criticism essays that explore the operations of that rhetoric. This course focuses on the discourse of elected presidents who speak in an official capacity, not on election campaigns or fictional portrayals of U.S. presidents. Students should expect this to be a seminar course, meaning that our class sessions will be largely student-driven discussion from assigned material. By taking this course, students will cultivate a more nuanced understanding of the operations of U.S. presidential rhetoric, culminating in a research project that analyzes a significant instance of presidential rhetoric. This course is restricted to sophomores, juniors and seniors; or with permission of the instructor.
Credits: 1.00
Start Date: January 20, 2025
End Date: May 10, 2025
Meeting Information:
01/20/2025-05/09/2025 Lecture Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11:00AM - 11:50AM, Room to be Announced
Faculty: Drury, Jeffrey

Course Status

Section Name/Title Status Dept. Capacity Enrolled/
Available/
Waitlist
RHE-370-01
U.S. Presidential Rhetoric
OPEN Rhetoric 16 10 / 6 / 0
Back to Top