The Agenda-Setting Impact of Major Presidential TV Addresses

Abstract

The ability to set the national agenda is an important power of the modern presidency. Policy-specific, nationally televised speeches provide presidents with the best rhetorical opportunity to set the national agenda; however, research on presidential agenda setting has not systematically explored their effects. Although the conventional understanding of presidential agenda setting suggests that presidents should be able to focus media attention through televised addresses, research paints a mixed picture of the president's ability to do so. We answer the following questions: Are televised presidential speeches effective in increasing news coverage of presidential priorities? And what explains the likelihood that a national address will significantly increase media attention? We find that 35% of the president's national addresses across four policy areas increase media attention in the shortterm, with only 10% of the speeches in our sample increasing media attention beyond the month of the speech. We also find that the likelihood that a national address will increase media attention hinges on previous media attention, public concern, and, to a lesser extent, the president's approval ratings.