Discourse in the Balance: American Presidential Discourse About Climate Change

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According to NASA (2018), 17 of the 18 hottest years on record have occurred since 2000. In an effort to better understand the political communication of American leaders surrounding this environmental exigency, I systematically examined invocations of climate change in the spoken communications of presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. I identified three discursive approaches that were likely to appear in these communications: a general environmental emphasis, foregrounding, and sidestepping. Results from a content analysis showed these presidents were most likely to employ foregrounding, with a focus on the economy. Democrats were more likely to employ a general environmental emphasis, while the Republicans were more likely to sidestep the issue of climate change. In addition, presidents were more likely to emphasize national security as time passed. Implications are discussed for public understanding about climate change and future policy when presidents focus on economic matters and national security.