Research and Theory on Speechwriting

This chapter provides an overview of scholarly research in speechwriting. Most research deals with presidential rhetoric in the USA and describes speechwriting in different administrations of the White House. These studies are generally based on historical research and biographies as well as interviews with former and active speechwriters. Outside the USA, most research comes from Northern Europe, often examining the process of speechwriting in government ministries. We describe three main areas of contemporary research in speechwriting: firstly, the issue of ethics both in politics and in corporate communication; secondly, research on institutional and processual issues; thirdly, research on speaker style, character, and authenticity; and finally, we mention the ways speechwriting are studied, with interviewing speechwriters as the most common.