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A Functional Analysis of 2004 Ukrainian Presidential Debates

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Abstract

Political leaders’ debates are an important and highly visible instances of public argumentation. As such, they merit scholarly attention. This essay applies the Functional Theory of Political Campaign Discourse to analyze televised presidential debates from the Ukraine in 2004. Overall, this analysis revealed that acclaims were the most common function, followed by attacks and then defenses. Policy was addressed more often than character in these debates, as expected. The incumbent candidate acclaimed significantly more and attacked less than the challenger. The incumbents used past deeds significantly more often to acclaim – and less to attack – than the challengers. Finally, general goals and ideals were used more as the basis for acclaims than attacks in these debates. Implications of these results are discussed.

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  1. Department of communication, University of Missouri, 115 Switzler, Columbia, MO, 65211-2310, USA

    GivenName> L. Benoit

  2. Language and literature Truman Sate University, Language and Literature, 100 E. Normal Street, Kirksville, MO, 63501, USA

    Andrew A. Klyukovski

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APPENDIX: ACCLAIMS AND ATTACKS ON THE FORMS OF POLICY AND CHARACTER

APPENDIX: ACCLAIMS AND ATTACKS ON THE FORMS OF POLICY AND CHARACTER

Policy

Acclaim on Past Deed: “GDP grew by 9.6% compared to 2002” (Yanukovych)

Attack on Past Deed: “Pensions and wages in Ukraine are lower even than the subsistence level” (Yushchenko)

Acclaim on Future Plan: “We shall set a new subsistence level of 432 hryvnyas” (Yushchenko)

Attack on Future Plan: “Here is [Yanukovych’s] budget; please find a single kopech to pay pensioners from 1 January 2005” (Yushchenko)

Acclaim on General Goal: We must “maintain price stability” (Yushchenko)

Attack on General Goal: “The goal [of the authorities] is to retain power” (Yushchenko)

Character

Acclaim on Personal Qualities: “I am here today to tell you the truth” (Yanukovych)

Attack on Personal Qualities: “Therefore esteemed Mr. Yushchenko, do not sin. Tell the truth. Enough deceiving everybody” (Yanukovych)

Acclaim on Leadership Ability: “In these two years I have been working as prime minister” (Yanukovych)

Attack on Leadership Ability: “One of the fundamental problems of my nation and the current government is its inability to manage the state coffers” (Yushchenko)

Acclaim on Ideals: “We can live in freedom and democracy” (Yuschenko)

Attack on Ideals: “Foreign relations should not be built on the principle: Either we are friends with the East or we are friends with the West. We have strategic interests in the East and in the West” (Yushchenko)

Examples from the 11/15/04 debate except the attack on future plans is from the 12/20/04 debate.

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Benoit, G.L., Klyukovski, A.A. A Functional Analysis of 2004 Ukrainian Presidential Debates. Argumentation 20, 209–225 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10503-006-9007-x

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