The Etiquette of American Politics

South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson has been admonished for yelling “You lie” during President Obama’s health care speech, an outburst that startled many Americans and which others connected to this summer’s rowdy town hall behavior. However, in the United Kingdom the political process is routinely more raucous. Is American the land of polite politics… and is that changing? “There are differences in style between U.S. and U.K. political discourse,” says USC Annenberg communication professor and CCLP faculty fellow Tom Hollihan (pictured), author of Uncivil Wars: Political Campaigns in a Media Age…….Continue Reading The Etiquette of American Politics

Lofty expectations for Obama’s inaugural speech

The San Francisco Chronicle quoted Faculty Fellow Thomas Hollihan and Morley Winograd of the USC Marshall School about Barack Obama's inauguration address. "An inaugural speech is very different from the annual State of the Union address," Hollihan said. "By its very nature, it's a speech that celebrates the continuity of the compact between people and the democratic process." The article also included a list of tips from Hollihan on what to expect from the speech…….Continue Reading Lofty expectations for Obama’s inaugural speech