The function of epideictic and deliberative strategies in presidential crisis rhetoric

Abstract

This essay argues for a revised perspective on presidential crisis rhetoric informed by an understanding of differing exigencies. Using speeches by Ronald Reagan, two types of crisis rhetoric are examined: those which fulfill a need for communal understanding and are characterized by epideictic strategies, and those which strive for policy approval and are characterized by deliberative strategies. The essay concludes that crisis rhetoric cannot be viewed as a homogeneous type of discourse; rather, it should be analyzed in relation to the different exigencies it responds to and the different functions it performs. Implications for the study of crisis rhetoric as a rhetorical genre are also discussed.