Rhetoric, Uncertainty and Policy Making

Abstract

During the last years, the concept of rhetoric has received renewed interest in the humanities and social sciences. Policy studies and political science have been relatively slow in integrating rhetorical analysis into its theoretical approaches. The panel wants to study the usefulness and areas of application of rhetorical analysis and argumentation theory in policy analysis. In the antique tradition, the concept of rhetoric is mainly organized around oral speech. From the perspective of argumentation theory, its consideration can be seen as the acknowledgement of the complexity of discourse and narration. Rhetoric brings back to our attention crucial factors of the political, such as emotions, ethos, and persuasion as key elements of the policy process. We invite theoretical, methodological and/or empirical contributions that deal with issues of rhetoric in policy analysis.

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