The rightful place of science: Understanding the intersection of rhetoric, politics, and science in President Obama's first 100 days

While many of the day's most pressing issues involve scientific and technical aspects, scientific information alone cannot determine the right decisions to make. This gap between information and action creates an opening for political influence. Cries for a pure science isolated from the influence of politics have a long history but have grown louder over the past decade. In the wake of the George W. Bush administration, scientists and citizens found President Obama's new way of talking about (and treating) science inspiring. However, we must not forget that words often do more than merely inspire. President Obama's rhetoric influenced the national agenda for science, and it is important to understand how President Obama, and future presidents, can use talk of science for political ends.;This thesis examines President Obama's rhetoric about science during his first 100 days in office. By considering the historical evolution that influenced President Obama's rhetoric and analyzing the rhetorical negotiations within his statements, a sense of his discourse about science emerges, which allows for a better understanding of the intersection between politics and science in public discourse. In Chapter 1, I place presidential discourse about science at the intersection of two areas of study, presidential rhetoric and the rhetoric of science, and discuss what rhetorical scholars can gain by exploring this intersection. In Chapter 2, I examine how President Obama rhetorically defined the rightful place of science. Through reliance on the linear model and promotion of the ideals of science, the president's rhetoric created a politically productive position for his administration. In Chapter 3, I turn my attention to President Obama's address to the National Academy of Sciences, arguing that he tried to rhetorically create a Sputnik moment in order to gain support for his particular research priority of clean energy. I conclude in Chapter 4 by discussing how my analysis helps develop a better understanding of the contact zone between politics and science. Ultimately this study aims to show the inherently political nature of science, especially when used by the government, and to demonstrate the importance of examining rhetoric that makes claims of depoliticized science.