After World War II, The United States never stepped down from its military mobil
After World War II, The United States never stepped down from its military mobilization, leading President Eisenhower, a war
hero General himself, to warn the public about the hegemony and entrenchment of the military industrial complex. It is little wonder,
then, that the methods of propaganda have continued to inform politics and support political candidates, in the United States and
beyond. From the perspective of people who considers themselves sophisticated consumers of discourse, the propaganda of authoritarian
states can seem almost comic, despite the rhetorical violence, because it is often so obvious and crude. However, even the most
sophisticated campaigns for candidates and issues in the United States uses elements of propaganda, including, of course, a grab bag of
American commonplaces! It is Morning in America, for the Man from Hope, or it is time to Make America Great Again?
For the second Image Analysis, select three related examples of political propaganda with a strong visual aspect. One way to
proceed is to gather three examples from the same campaign or supporting the same candidate, issue or regime. However, you may find
other patterns of connection: for instance, President Reagan is not alone from using the “morning” motif to suggest a new beginning;
tracing this strand in American politics would be intriguing. You may also find different examples from a single person or issue over a
span of time: for instance, how has “pro-gun-rights” political propaganda changed in recent years? As you develop your analysis, this is a
good opportunity to consider a question without an easy answer: when does advertising or public relations seep over into propaganda?
Are their lines that can be drawn, or is this more of a continuum? Are their qualities that establish certain motifs or ways of arguing as
propaganda that are beyond the usual political campaigns? The prompt for this paper is the same as in the first analysis paper, but for
political propaganda, rather than war. Build your critical acumen and refine your concept of propaganda. Enjoy and impress.