Tomato, Tomahto: The Importance of Language in Politics

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Framing
Language and the Abortion Debate
A guide to recognizing the frame

When we listen to parties and politicians, we know that their language is carefully chosen, meant to persuade, influence, and sometimes inspire.

With the big presidential election coming up in 2008, we should all be prepared to be inundated with language. Words will rain on us in loud thunderstorms, and sometimes it's hard to hear our own voices in the squall.

By understanding the way that parties frame the issues, we can better understand the issues themselves, as well as party philosophies.

WomenMatter continually identifies the varieties of ways that issues are framed and worded, so that you can easily sift the facts from the persuasive narratives, and make your own decisions about policies that affect you.

Framing

The big, overarching idea used to hold up a policy, position, or statement is its frame.

Political parties and advocacy groups use these frames to invoke powerful images or emotions. News sources use frames too--to highlight a particular aspect of a story, or simply to craft a more interesting narrative.

Cognitive scientist George Lakoff, author of Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think, uses the phrase "tax relief," as an example. He explains that the expression implies that taxes are an ailment to be alleviated, that the reliever is a hero, and that anyone who tries to stop tax relief is a villain. This compelling scenario is conjured by merely two words.

Compelling? Sure. But take a look at the issue from a different frame: Franklin D. Roosevelt described taxes as "the dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society." And Oliver Wendell Holmes famously said that he likes to pay taxes because "with them I buy civilization."

More than illuminating either side of the issue, these examples highlight the power of an effective frame. As you can see, the frame is the feeling, the metaphor, the image associated with the language. A word is not just a word, after all.

Framing can be used for propaganda, but also to express honest beliefs effectively. Frames aren't necessarily harmful- as long as they don't obscure the facts behind the rhetoric.

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Language and the Abortion Debate

In the political debate over abortion, each camp uses language as a sharp tool to carve public thinking.

Terms like "anti-choice" and "pro-abortion" are powerful frames. Of course, life and choice are both valued principles, so each side uses the words "life" and "choice" to further its cause and weaken its opponent.

Those in favor of abortion rights call their opponents "anti-choice" to invoke feelings of confinement and slavery. Those opposed to abortion rights say that their rivals are "pro-abortion" to make it sound like a pregnant woman should have an abortion procedure, not just the right to one.

To read more about language and the abortion debate click here.

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A guide to recognizing the frame

When you hear your representatives talk about things you care about, pay attention to their words -- especially phrases and ideas that are repeated. Spoken language often relies on repetition for maximum recognition and power, so people discussing an issue will recap and restate in order to leave a deeper impression.

Here's a fun assignment: Listen to President Bush and The White House describe the war. Then listen to how Democrats describe it. How do the different descriptions change over time? How does the news media appropriate these descriptions? What feelings does their language invoke? What ideas does it leave out? Discuss your views with other WomenMatter readers on our blog.

And when you write your representatives, choose your frame to highlight what you think the most important idea is.

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