POLITICAL ROLES AND THE COMPLEXITY OF POLITICAL RHETORIC
In: Political psychology: journal of the International Society of Political Psychology, Band 13, Heft 1, S. 31-44
ISSN: 0162-895X
THE COMPLELXITY OF POLITICAL RHETORIC OF POLITICIANS IN A POLICY-MAKING AND OPPOSITION ROLE IS EXAMINED. SPEECHES BY MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION PARTIES IN THE CANADIAN HOUSE OF COMMONS FROM 1948 TO 1988 WERE SCORED IN TERMS OF THEIR INTEGRATIVE COMPLEXITY. RESULTS INDICATED THAT INDIVIDUALS IN A POLICY-MAKING ROLE MADE SPEECHES THAT WERE MORE COMPLEX THAN THOSE MADE BY INDIVIDUALS IN AN OPPOSITION ROLE. THE COMPLEXITY OF GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION RHETORIC WAS RELATED TO HOW MUCH TIME HAD PASSED SINCE THE LAST ELECTION. RESULTS ARE DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO THE DIFFERENTIAL ACCOUNTABILITY OF THOSE IN A POLICY-MAKING AND OPPOSITION ROLE.