Public opinion and the nuclear freeze: The rhetoric of popular sovereignty in foreign policy debate Academic Article

abstract

• This essay examines the role of rhetorically-mediated public opinion in the congressional nuclear freeze debate of 1982-1983, Exploring how two competing portraits of public opinion emerged during the debate, it argues that the House freeze resolution of 1983 symbolically deferred to both publics with its endorsement of both the freeze and the Reagan administrations START initiative. The study illustrates the philosophical and empirical topoi of appeals to the people in political debate, and it argues for a situational perspective on the role of public opinion in the policymaking process. 1991 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

authors

• Dorsey, Leroy

published proceedings

• Western Journal of Communication

author list (cited authors)

• Hogan, J. M., & Dorsey, L.

citation count

• 4

complete list of authors

• Hogan, J Michael||Dorsey, Leroy

publication date

• December 1991

publisher

• Taylor & Francis  Publisher

published in

• Western Journal of Communication  Journal

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1080/10570319109374391

start page

• 319

end page

• 338

volume

• 55

issue

• 4

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10570319109374391