AP® United States Government and Politics review sheet from Aim for Five (aimforfive.com/gov/units/2/2-7)
Unit 2 · Topic 2.7
2.7 Presidential Communication
Presidents use the bully pulpit, their unmatched ability to grab national attention, to set the agenda and build support for their policies. Each new technology, from radio to television to social media, has let presidents speak to the public more directly. Going public can pressure Congress, but it doesn't always change minds.
Key terms
- bully pulpit
- State of the Union address
- agenda setting
- going public
- social media
The bully pulpit and agenda setting
Theodore Roosevelt called the presidency a “bully pulpit.” In his day, “bully” meant excellent, and a pulpit is where a preacher speaks. He meant the office gives its holder a superb platform to persuade the nation.
Agenda setting is deciding which issues get attention. Because the media cover nearly everything a president says, a president can push an issue to the top of the national conversation. That matters because Congress has limited time, and issues that dominate public attention are more likely to get acted on.
Going public
Going public means appealing directly to voters so that they pressure Congress, instead of bargaining privately with lawmakers. A president might give a speech, travel to swing states or post online, asking people to call their representatives. It works best when the president is popular and the issue is simple; it can backfire by hardening the other party's opposition and making compromise look like surrender.
The State of the Union
Article II requires the president to give Congress information on the State of the Union “from time to time” and recommend measures. George Washington and John Adams delivered it in person, Thomas Jefferson switched to a written message, and Woodrow Wilson revived the in-person address in 1913. Today it is a prime-time televised speech in which presidents lay out their legislative agenda before Congress and a national audience.
How technology changed presidential communication
The overall trend is more direct communication. Each step reduced the role of journalists and party leaders as go-betweens and increased the speed of response.
| Era | Technology | Example and effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1930s–1940s | Radio | Franklin Roosevelt's fireside chats, starting in 1933 during a banking crisis, let him speak calmly and personally into millions of homes |
| 1960s onward | Television | John F. Kennedy held the first live televised press conferences in 1961; image and on-camera skill became central, and Ronald Reagan's TV addresses earned him the nickname “the Great Communicator” |
| 1980s–1990s | 24-hour cable news | Constant coverage pushed presidents to respond to events faster and kept their messages in the news cycle |
| 2000s onward | Internet and social media | Presidents can reach millions of followers instantly, without reporters filtering or framing the message |
Limits on communication power
- Audiences are fragmented and polarized. People often tune in only to sources that match their views, so a president's message may reach mainly existing supporters.
- Speeches rarely move public opinion much on their own. Their bigger effect is often setting the agenda and energizing the base.
- Instant, unfiltered messages carry risk: a misstatement spreads just as fast as a planned message.
- Approval ratings usually start high in a “honeymoon” period and tend to decline over a term, which weakens persuasive power.
Worked examples
Try each one yourself first, then open the solution.
- Example 1
Concept application: going public
A president's infrastructure bill is stalled in Congress. The president travels to five states represented by undecided senators, holds rallies and asks voters to call their senators. Identify the strategy, explain how it is meant to work, and describe one limit on it.
Show the solutionHide the solution
- Step 1: Name the strategy: appealing directly to the public to pressure Congress is going public, a use of the bully pulpit.
- Step 2: Explain the mechanism: senators care about reelection, so if constituents call in support, undecided senators may see backing the bill as safer.
- Step 3: Give a limit: if the president's approval is low in those states, or voters are polarized, the appeal may not move opinion and could harden opposition.
Answer: Going public. The president hopes constituent pressure will push reelection-minded senators to vote yes, but low approval or polarization can blunt the effect.
Common mistakes
- Thinking “bully pulpit” means bullying Congress. It means a great platform for persuasion.
- Saying the Constitution requires a televised State of the Union speech. It requires only that the president inform Congress “from time to time”; the format is tradition.
- Assuming new technology always strengthens presidents. It increases direct reach, but fragmented audiences and fast-moving news also limit control of the message.
On the exam
- Concept application questions may describe a president using media or speeches and ask how it advances an agenda. Use the terms bully pulpit, agenda setting and going public precisely.
- Be ready to explain how a change in technology changed the relationship between the president and the public.
Connected topics
Videos
Check yourself
4 questions on 2.7 Presidential Communication. Pick an answer to see if you got it, and why.
| Issue named as “most important problem” | Week before address | Week after address |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 30% | 27% |
| Health care | 18% | 17% |
| Immigration | 12% | 11% |
| Roads and infrastructure | 6% | 14% |
Hypothetical national poll taken before and after a State of the Union address that focused on infrastructure
Which statement is best supported by the data?
The president's use of a nationally broadcast address to draw attention to infrastructure is best described as
My friends, I want to talk for a few minutes with the people of the United States about banking—with the comparatively few who understand the mechanics of banking but more particularly with the overwhelming majority who use banks for the making of deposits and the drawing of checks.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, first fireside chat (radio address), March 12, 1933
Roosevelt's radio address is best described as an example of a president
Compared with radio addresses like this one, social media has most changed presidential communication by letting presidents
0 of 4 answered