Public expression in the United States has become increasingly coarse. Whether it's stupid, rude, base, or anti-intellectual talk, it surrounds us. Popular television, film, music, art, and even some elements of religion have become as coarse, we argue, as our often-disparaged political dialogue. This book's contention is that the U.S. semantic environment is governed by tactics, not tact. We craft messages that work--that perform their desired function. We are instrumental, strategic communicators. As such, entertainment and journalism that draw an audience, for instance, are "good." This...

Through an exclusive focus on public policy advocacy as a practical endeavor, Philip Dalton and John R. Butler depart from approaches to debate education that focus on the rules of simulated, academic debate formats. Beginning with the assumption that readers have already developed a basic capacity to argue, they offer practical guidance for determining the fundamental issues that make up a controversy and what expectations public audiences will have for advocacy based on the issues and the burdens of advocates challenging or defending the status quo. Through examples that span a wide range...

Through an exclusive focus on public policy advocacy as a practical endeavor, Philip Dalton and John R. Butler depart from approaches to debate education that focus on the rules of simulated, academic debate formats. Beginning with the assumption that readers have already developed a basic capacity to argue, they offer practical guidance for determining the fundamental issues that make up a controversy and what expectations public audiences will have for advocacy based on the issues and the burdens of advocates challenging or defending the status quo. Through examples that span a wide range...