Research interests: Presidential rhetoric, public opinion, education politics
Just Words? An experimental analysis of presidential rhetoric's impact on African-American opinion
A senior thesis (125 pages)
Winner of the Lyman H. Atwater Prize as the most outstanding thesis in the Department of Politics.
Do speeches matter? Can they actually change listeners' opinions -- at least in experimental settings?
What is the value of presidential speeches that uses language specific to a certain identity? Do these identity appeals work better than broader appeals?
How can presidents use speeches to mobilize black support for education reform?
Full text available upon request.
Separated by a Common Language:
How British Public Opinion Responds
to American Presidential Rhetoric
When the American president speaks favorably of a British prime minister, do the British admire their prime minister more than they did before the rhetoric?
Does an American president's popularity abroad impact how much power their rhetoric has overseas?
Full text available upon request.
Defining Success in the Art of Rhetoric:
An Aristotelian Evaluation of Obama on Education in His State of the Union Addresses
What does it mean for presidential rhetoric to be "successful"? Is that different from it being "effective"?
How successfully does Obama's rhetoric on education in his first four State of the Union addresses utilize Aristotle's ethos, logos and pathos?
Full text available upon request.
