College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
Date of Last Revision
2024-01-17 10:15:49
Major
Political Science
Honors Course
Honors Research Project: Political Science
Number of Credits
3
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Fall 2023
Abstract
In this study, five speeches by Donald Trump and six by Joe Biden were comprehensively analyzed for their symbolic politics on immigration and social issues. The data revealed a consistent trend, with Trump featuring a greater number of mentions in comparison to Biden—66 and 26, respectively. Furthermore, Trump's symbolic politics exhibited a predominantly negative tone, while Biden's approach was predominantly positive. The results of this analysis confirm my hypotheses, highlighting notable disparities in the rhetoric employed by each candidate. Trump amplified a negative outlook on social issues and immigration, whereas Biden strategically mentioned and positively framed these issues. This research provides valuable insights into the utilization of symbolic politics by each speaker.
Research Sponsor
Dr. Phillip Marcin
First Reader
Dr. Karl Kaltenthaler
Second Reader
Dr. Charles Waehler
Honors Faculty Advisor
Dr. Ronald Gelleny
Proprietary and/or Confidential Information
No
Recommended Citation
Asif, Nimra, "The Role of Symbolic Politics in Shaping Political Attitudes: A Study of Trump and Biden's Campaign Speeches" (2023). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1777.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1777