Year of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Communication Studies

Department or School/College

Communication Studies

Committee Chair

Dr. Sara Hayden

Commitee Members

Dr. Megan Cullinan, Dr. Anya Jabour

Keywords

Political Communication, Political Rhetoric, Kamala Harris, Presidential Rhetoric

Subject Categories

Communication | Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication | Speech and Rhetorical Studies

Abstract

Competing expectations about strength, care, and protection shape how presidential leadership and authority are constructed in contemporary U.S. politics, particularly for members of marginalized communities. This thesis examines Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign as a case study to explore how candidates negotiate competing understandings of political authority through appeals to Lakoff’s (2002, 2008) Strict Father Morality and the Nurturant Parent Morality. An analysis of her campaign reveals that Harris repeatedly appeals to both moral frameworks, constructing authority through empathy, mutual responsibility, and care while also emphasizing threat identification, protection, discipline, and moral strength. Although Harris successfully mobilizes the rhetorical resources of both frameworks, the tensions in her rhetoric reveal the difficulty of satisfying competing expectations regarding presidential leadership. These tensions are further complicated by the racialized and gendered assumptions that shape how authority is recognized, particularly for women of color. Ultimately, this thesis argues that Harris’s campaign reveals the challenges of establishing presidential authority within a political culture structured by competing moral frameworks and unequal standards of legitimacy.

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© Copyright 2026 Marissa Barbara Pax