TY - BOOK ID - 17332974 TI - Governing with words PY - 2016 SN - 9781107127548 9781107566613 9781316412299 1107566614 1107127548 1316412296 1316588726 1316590054 PB - Cambridge Cambridge University Press DB - UniCat KW - Rhetoric KW - Political oratory KW - Politicians KW - Minorities KW - Political aspects KW - Social aspects KW - Language KW - Political activity KW - United States KW - Race KW - Social policy KW - Rhetoric - Political aspects - United States KW - Political oratory - Social aspects - United States KW - Politicians - United States - Language KW - Minorities - Political activity - United States KW - United States - Social policy KW - Race - Political aspects - United States KW - Language. KW - Social policy. UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:17332974 AB - Rather than considering political discussions and rhetoric as symbolic, inconsequential forms of politics, Governing with Words conceptualizes them as forms of government action that can shape institutions and societal norms. Daniel Q. Gillion refers to this theory as 'discursive governance'. Federal politicians' statements about racial and ethnic minority concerns aid the passage of minority public policies and improve individual lifestyle behaviors. Unfortunately, most of the American public continues to disapprove of politicians' rhetoric that highlights race. The book argues that addressing racial and ethnic inequality continues to be a tug-of-war between avoiding the backlash of the majority in this nation while advocating for minority interests. Even though this paradox looms over politicians' discussions of race, race-conscious political speech, viewed in its entirety, is the mechanism by which marginalized groups find a place in the democratic process. Such race-conscious discussions, the book argues, have ramifications both within and outside of government. ER -