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Major, Mark. Hiding in plain sight. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T32N50WT

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TitleHiding in plain sight
NameMajor, Mark (author); Leech, Beth L (chair); Baker, Ross K (internal member); Tillery, Alvin B (internal member); Lawrence, Regina G (outside member); Rutgers University; Graduate School - New Brunswick
Date Created2013
Other Date2013-05 (degree)
SubjectPolitical Science, Executive orders--United States, Implied powers (Constitutional law)--United States, Mass media policy
Extentxii, 186 p. : ill.
DescriptionThis dissertation explores the dynamic process of traditional print and online news media framing of direct presidential actions. Since President George Washington’s Proclamation of Neutrality, the proper scope and exercise of executive unilateral powers are an ongoing debate. With a mere “stroke of the pen,” presidents can change the political status quo. However, the legality of unilateral powers remains murky, at best, as the US Constitution is silent about these actions. This research investigates the role of news institutions in bringing attention to these unwritten powers of the presidency, examining the amount of coverage, type of frames that are used, who influences the frames, and whether these frames serve as a substantive check on the unilateral powers of the American presidency. Employing content and textual analyses of more than 1,000 news items and nearly 7,000 quoted sources from the New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today as well as top online blogs like Huffington Post, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, Townhall, Hot Air, and Michelle Malkin, across twelve presidential administrations, it is argued that the framing of direct presidential action is largely favorable to executive power. This is due to presidential sources being treated as more authoritative than congressional sources and other political actors in the news and a passive political system that is indifferent to presidential unilateral actions. Thus, the news provides cover to the president by normalizing the use of these unwritten powers. However, when the political system pushes back against unitary executive actions, the media responds in kind.
NotePh.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Noteby Mark Major
Genretheses, ETD doctoral
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T32N50WT
Languageeng
CollectionGraduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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