Ebook: The Presidents' Speeches: Beyond "Going Public"

Why do presidents bother to give speeches when their words rarely move public opinion? Arguing that "going public" isn't really about going to the public at all, Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha explores to whom presidential speeches are in fact targeted, and what—if any—influence they have on public policy. Eshbaugh-Soha shows that, when presidents speak, their intent is to provide legislators and bureaucrats with cues pointing to particular policy decisions. Analyzing 50 years of presidential rhetoric, he demonstrates the impact of such "presidential signaling" vis-à-vis a range of policy areas. He finds that, although citizen support may increase the likelihood that a legislator will respond to presidential signals, it is not essential to a president's legislative success.