Appealing Politics? Using the Bully Pulpit to Change Opinions and Influence Policy

Abstract

Recent political science research demonstrates that American politicians can use speeches to influence the political process. Despite this phenomenon's profound implications, our understanding of it remains underdeveloped in many respects. Most importantly, we lack compelling strategies that can outline the conditions under which speeches are most likely to be given, influence public opinion, and alter legislative behavior. Leveraging the unique variation provided by analysis at the state level, my dissertation does just that by assessing the impact of public statements by governors on the political process. It demonstrates that when governors speak out publicly on a policy issue, the speech can fundamentally alter the political process – influencing the way in which the public thinks about the issue and altering the behavior of legislators working on related public policy.