Franklin D. Roosevelt’s use of Rhetorical Strategies On March 4, 1933, the United States’ new president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), recited his First Inaugural Address in which he reflected on unfortunate issues America had endured leading up to his initiation as the Chief of State. He also outlined his plan that would promote socioeconomic improvements and rekindle the traditional American spirit. In their essay, “The Rhetorical Presidency,” Robert E. Denton, Jr. and Dan F. Hahn, who are both political communication analysts and communications professors at notable universities, describe that presidents, including FDR, use five oratorical techniques to communicate meaningful and important messages to the nation’s people. Such strategies
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The decade before FDR presented his first presidential speech to the nation was known as the Roaring Twenties, which was a time period in United States history when people gained a newfound optimism following the Great War, and began spending excessively on credit. The entire country soon learned that one may not continually spend money they do not have, as it eventually led to the Wall Street Crash of 1929. This incident initiated a chain reaction since it caused many investors and banks to go broke, and catalyzed the effects of the Great Depression. FDR was well-aware of the repercussions of America’s economic slump because he took his oath during the depression’s peak, when over eleven million people were unemployed; he maintained that “a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return” (Roosevelt par. 3). Through information dissemination, FDR revealed to the American people, a problem that was already a well-known fact: many of the nation’s citizens were undergoing a severe financial hardship. His use of this function was effective, as it permitted him to offer his listeners a better understanding of this major problem. He hoped that being honest with his audience would gain support for his administration for the next four years. Additionally, the structure of his statement made it appear as …show more content…
The new president identified the rise of these new individualistic attitudes as being one of the nation’s core developing issues, and implied that a renewed selflessness would improve its current situation. He avowed, “we can not merely take but we must give as well; that if we are to go forward, we must move as a trained and loyal army willing to sacrifice for the good of a common discipline, because without such discipline no progress is made, no leadership becomes effective” (Roosevelt par. 17). FDR used action stimulation to demand the unification of the country; he described that, without it, Americans would not see their nation thrive. His employment of this function was effective, as the military analogy, which furthered his call for action, allowed them to feel as though they could have a direct impact on the improvement of the nation’s integrity. Furthermore, FDR implied that he would not be a valuable leader without the unity and self-sacrifice of his fellow people. This allowed him to provide his audience with a sense of importance and reveal his
The decade before FDR presented his first presidential speech to the nation was known as the Roaring Twenties, which was a time period in United States history when people gained a newfound optimism following the Great War, and began spending excessively on credit. The entire country soon learned that one may not continually spend money they do not have, as it eventually led to the Wall Street Crash of 1929. This incident initiated a chain reaction since it caused many investors and banks to go broke, and catalyzed the effects of the Great Depression. FDR was well-aware of the repercussions of America’s economic slump because he took his oath during the depression’s peak, when over eleven million people were unemployed; he maintained that “a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return” (Roosevelt par. 3). Through information dissemination, FDR revealed to the American people, a problem that was already a well-known fact: many of the nation’s citizens were undergoing a severe financial hardship. His use of this function was effective, as it permitted him to offer his listeners a better understanding of this major problem. He hoped that being honest with his audience would gain support for his administration for the next four years. Additionally, the structure of his statement made it appear as …show more content…
The new president identified the rise of these new individualistic attitudes as being one of the nation’s core developing issues, and implied that a renewed selflessness would improve its current situation. He avowed, “we can not merely take but we must give as well; that if we are to go forward, we must move as a trained and loyal army willing to sacrifice for the good of a common discipline, because without such discipline no progress is made, no leadership becomes effective” (Roosevelt par. 17). FDR used action stimulation to demand the unification of the country; he described that, without it, Americans would not see their nation thrive. His employment of this function was effective, as the military analogy, which furthered his call for action, allowed them to feel as though they could have a direct impact on the improvement of the nation’s integrity. Furthermore, FDR implied that he would not be a valuable leader without the unity and self-sacrifice of his fellow people. This allowed him to provide his audience with a sense of importance and reveal his