Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: his essay charts and examines presidential anti-intellectualism in its public dimension. It presents textual evidence to demonstrate the existence and intensification of “dumbing down” throughout presidential history; traces the mildly anti-intellectual aversion to “rhetoric” and the decisions to simplify presidential discourse through presidential and speechwriting decisions made from the Truman through to the present administration; and explains how these individual decisions to go anti-intellectual accumulate and collectively present a serious but intractable threat to the health of the republic, instantiating a classic case of the tyranny of small decisions.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This essay charts and examines presidential anti-intellectualism in its public dimension. It presents textual evidence to demonstrate the existence and intensification of “dumbing down” throughout presidential history; traces the mildly anti-intellectual aversion to “rhetoric” and the decisions to simplify presidential discourse through presidential and speechwriting decisions made from the Truman through to the present administration; and explains how these individual decisions to go anti-intellectual accumulate and collectively present a serious but intractable threat to the health of the republic, instantiating a classic case of the tyranny of small decisions.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The characteristics of the plebiscitary presidency include increased assertions of executive independence, direct appeals to the people, active manipulation of public opinion, and a rigorous emphasis on rhetorical prowess. Due to the amplified importance of forging an intimate connection with the American public, plebiscitary presidents must adjust their political personalities and leadership. To combat allegations of elitism, Republican presidents have adopted anti-intellectualism as a conservative form of populism. Anti-intellectualism is defined as disparagement of the complexity associated with intellectual pursuits, and a rejection of the elitism and self-aware attitude of distinction that is commonly associated with intellectual life. This essay explores anti-intellectualism as a strategic response to the plebiscitary demands of contemporary politics. Case studies of Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush illustrate the political benefits of Republican anti-intellectualism.