Four years to forever: one-term presidents and the rhetorical power of presidential libraries

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dc.contributorBagley, Meredith M.
dc.contributorPeacock, Cynthia C.
dc.contributorRafferty, Colin
dc.contributor.advisorOhl, Jessy J.
dc.contributor.authorGreen, Madison Elizabeth
dc.contributor.otherUniversity of Alabama Tuscaloosa
dc.date.accessioned2020-09-30T17:24:40Z
dc.date.available2020-09-30T17:24:40Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.descriptionElectronic Thesis or Dissertationen_US
dc.description.abstractPresidential libraries are sophisticated sites for public memory designed to affirm democratic values, convince audiences of each president’s accomplishments, and enshrine a leader’s legacy in a favorable light for future generations. Although these memory places are consequential for every president, they are pivotal for those only granted one term in office. This study explores the ways that the libraries of Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. Bush rhetorically elevate the respective presidents in public memory. This study blends traditional narrative criticism with calls for ‘field rhetoric’ to examine how the three respective libraries utilize space, place, and verbal discourse in order to narrate the most compelling case for why each president deserves praise and admiration in public memory. I demonstrate that each library invests in different persuasive strategies: 1.) The Ford Library presents him as a victim of circumstance by focusing on emotional appeals to pity and nostalgia, 2.) The Carter Library excuses his presidential missteps by emphasizing his post-presidential achievements, and 3.) The Bush Library lauds his place as the patriarch of a political dynasty created using the American dream myth.en_US
dc.format.extent137 p.
dc.format.mediumelectronic
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.otheru0015_0000001_0003593
dc.identifier.otherGreen_alatus_0004M_14156
dc.identifier.urihttp://ir.ua.edu/handle/123456789/6992
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Alabama Libraries
dc.relation.hasversionborn digital
dc.relation.ispartofThe University of Alabama Electronic Theses and Dissertations
dc.relation.ispartofThe University of Alabama Libraries Digital Collections
dc.rightsAll rights reserved by the author unless otherwise indicated.en_US
dc.subjectCommunication
dc.subjectRhetoric
dc.subjectCommunication
dc.titleFour years to forever: one-term presidents and the rhetorical power of presidential librariesen_US
dc.typethesis
dc.typetext
etdms.degree.departmentUniversity of Alabama. College of Communication
etdms.degree.disciplineCommunication Studies
etdms.degree.grantorThe University of Alabama
etdms.degree.levelmaster's
etdms.degree.nameM.A.
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