I am interested in the ways that political discourse affects the political choices of ordinary citizens, candidates, and mass media as well as the American political landscape as a whole. My work has been particularly focused on ways to conceive of and measure the impact of rhetoric as a legitimate tool in the clockwork of mass democracy, with special interest in persuasive speech as a site of action that has the potential to generate influence and power not only from the top down, but also from the bottom-up. Other research and teaching interests include, but are not limited to critical theory, public opinion, communicative ethics, and social movements.