Was Reagan Really a Great Communicator? The Influence of Televised Addresses on Public Opinion

Abstract

This article examines the influence that televised addresses have on the public's evaluation of the president. To do this it measures the influence of 10 of President Reagan's televised addresses from 1981 to 1984, using individual‐level data gathered in national public opinion surveys. Although scholars and pundits universally acknowledged Reagan's prowess with televised addresses, this study finds, contrary to expectations, that Reagan's televised addresses had limited success in influencing the public's evaluation of him and his presidency. Given these results, this article examines what opportunities presidents who are not as rhetorically skilled as Reagan have in trying to influence public opinion with televised addresses. This study concludes that although presidents must be careful choosing when to deliver a televised address, televised addresses nevertheless remain a potentially useful tool in helping presidents accomplish their purposes.