Manipulative Function Of Vague Language In Political Discourse

To find out the inner relationship between power-holders and implicit markers, this paper conducts an investigation of vague language in the political discourse of the U.S. China-related reports. The data are selected from the five principal parts in the reports from Year2008-2012. The analyses focus on both traditional category of vague language and those fuzzified through hybridization, modality and nominalization.The first chapter is an overview of previous studies, including research on vague language and political discourse, especially studies of vague language in the political discourse and political discourse from CDA. Chapter Two puts forward some important concepts, theoretical framework and related analytic instruments. Fairclough’s Three-dimensional Model serves as the theoretical framework; hybridization, modality and nominalization as analytic instruments. Chapter Three analyzes the application of the analytic instruments in the reports as well as the manipulative effects they produce. Chapter Four is an in-depth discussion, based upon the previous research and theories, of the analytical results to explore the ultimate historical, political and economical reasons.The research indicates that vague expressions in the China-related reports are not arbitrarily used. They make the reports appear convincing and persuasive as they are implicit markers and boast properties of innate vagueness and deliberate withholding of information. They are optional mediations for power-holders to seek consent from and manipulate power over those dominated groups. Besides, they can perfectly serve power-holders’ intentions and provide them with self-protection.