A Comparative Analysis of Gun Reform Policies and Rhetoric under Four U.S. Presidents: George Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Abstract

Abstract This dissertation deals with one of the most prominent and widely discussed topics in the United States since the issuance of the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which guaranteed the freedom to own weapons by the American people by Congress, on September 25, 1789. The significance of this topic lies in its relevance to public safety. The dissertation seeks to shed light on the two conflicting approaches under the presidency of the four United States presidents: George Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. It evaluates the effectiveness of their different policies, through analyzing speeches and attitudes towards gun control and gun laws. Since the presidents belong to two conflicting parties, the Republican and Democratic parties, this research aims to give a better understanding of the role of partisanship in the policy implementation of gun reforms and analyzing the power of presidential rhetoric that can deeply show how policy initiatives are shaped, received, and implemented in a politically polarized environment. This study seeks also to provide a comparison between the rhetoric of the presidents, in addition to an analysis of the rhetoric and symbolism employed by them in their speeches. The latter elements are believed to make the impact of their rhetoric on public perception and policy outcomes clear and helps in understanding the strategies used by every president.