POL 166
Prof. Murdaco
November 21, 2015
Assignment #8

For this assignment, choose a paragraph from the assigned readings and write a paragraph explaining your choice.


Taken from the Ronald Reagan Inaugural Address

"We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are not heroes, they just don't know where to look. You can see heroes every day going in and out of factory gates. Others, a handful in number, produce enough food to feed all of us and then the world beyond. You meet heroes across a counter, and they're on both sides of that counter. There are entrepreneurs with faith in themselves and faith in an idea who create new jobs, new wealth and opportunity. They're individuals and families whose taxes support the government and whose voluntary gifts support church, charity, culture, art, and education. Their patriotism is quiet, but deep. Their values sustain our national life."

I chose this paragraph because it shows the tactics used in the politics to get the American people to buy into the process by bolstering there confidence and tugging on the strings of their patriotism. The American people, when looking to our political leaders, need to see themselves reflected in the proposed changes that will come about if they are to buy into them. Reagan states " you can see heros every day going in and out of factory gates" and "Their patriotism is quiet, but deep" is meant to stir the emotions of those who have already committed to the change and convince those who have their doubts. The last sentence of the paragraph could translate for the individual, into My values sustain our national life, which is quite powerful. Manipulation is very effective if the target of the manipulation is left feeling powerful and respected.