<p> This study examines the rhetoric used by Republican politicians regarding voter ID laws. Using Kenneth Burke's theory of cluster analysis, key words and clustering terms are analyzed to identify the speaker's worldview. The main sections include: philosophical assumptions about political rhetoric, the theoretical basis derived from Burke's <i>identification</i> and <i>victimage</i> theories, a review of literature on the history of voting in the United States, results and discussion from the analysis of selected rhetoric from Republican politicians, and areas of further study. Statements from Republican politicians in Iowa, Texas, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania were selected for the analysis. The results of the study revealed worldviews of those analyzed filled with fear and violence. There is a long history of voter discrimination in the United States and the push for voter ID laws coincide with the election of the first black President. The purpose of the proposed Republican voter ID legislation is oriented toward retaining political power, not protecting the integrity of US elections.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:1553166 |
| Date | 17 April 2014 |
| Creators | McGee, Michael C. |
| Publisher | Gonzaga University |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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