Theodore Roosevelt Propaganda Speech Analysis

In analyzing this speech, it can be seen that it operated as a work of propaganda. By propaganda, it is here meant to refer to the deliberate and systematic use of media technology and discoursive tactics to persuade an audience on a matter. In this speech, Roosevelt has clear positions which he is trying to convince people of. He seeks to convince people that his economic policies (notably NIRA, banking regulations, and deviating from the gold standard) and that his notion of collective economic liberty is more suitable for the times than older, more laisse faire, and individualistic, notions of economic liberty. He used radio as a means of mass distributing his message to members of the public.
In his address, he used several forms of …show more content…
He invokes the past administration of presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, to make the case that sometimes the government needs expand its involvement for the public good and combat bad business practices. He invokes founding father Benjamin Franklin to help justify his critical stance toward speculative business. And near the end of his speech, he quotes Abraham Lincoln stating that the government should “do for a community of people whatever they need to have done but cannot do at all or cannot do so well for themselves in their separate and individual capacities”, to argue that his New Deal was legitimate, and to deflect accusations that his actions would lead to a total government takeover of the …show more content…
He was trying to attract support to his programs the general public, and specifically among the unemployed, consumers, the working class, and business class. For the unemployed, he mentions that his NIRA programs had helped put millions to work, reduced the social ills of unemployment, and that he intends to expand these efforts. For consumers, he claims that he made the banking system operational and reliable, has helped balance the economy to serve the interests of each group, and has helped more people achieve the means to fiancé their basic needs. For workers, he mentions that his policies have given workers more jobs, a general increase in wages, minimum wage standards, and an official means of collective bargaining. For business, he states that his policies have helped increase corporate profits, invested in the economy, and stabilized the banking system and stock market. He also sought to balance his appeals to business and labor, by mentioning some of their benefits in conjunction, giving praise and criticism to both, in so far as he sees them compliant or non-compliant with his claimed vision of them acting responsibly and being in harmony, and proclaiming that his policies are to the benefit of