Cookie Consent by FreePrivacyPolicy.com
JAAAS logo

Special Issue Articles

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2024): (Re)Imagining Flyover Fictions

From the Capitol to the Heartland: Analyzing Congressional Rhetoric and the "Flyover Country" Narrative

Submitted
August 31, 2024
Published
2024-10-16

Abstract

This study examines the evolution and strategic use of the term "flyover country" in US congressional rhetoric from 1995 to 2024. Initially a benign geographic descriptor, "flyover country" has transformed into a potent symbol of cultural and political identity, particularly among Republican members of Congress. Through a comprehensive analysis of congressional speeches, committee hearings, and constituent correspon­dence, this research identifies an increase in the use of flyover rhetoric, especially during the Trump era. The study reveals that "flyover" is employed to evoke a sense of victimhood and marginalization among rural constituents, highlighting perceived economic and cultural disenfranchisement by coastal elites. The findings underscore the adaptability of political language and its role in shaping and reflecting socio-political divides in the United States. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of congressional rhetoric and the cultural and political undercurrents that influence US-American identity and discourse.

References

  1. Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Verso Books, 1991.
  2. Asen, Robert. Visions of Poverty: Welfare Policy and Political Imagination. MSU P, 2012.
  3. Barnes, Lucy, and Timothy Hicks. "Are Policy Analogies Persuasive? The Household Budget Analogy and Public Support for Austerity." British Journal of Political Science, vol. 52, no. 3, pp. 1296–1314.
  4. Bond, Kit. "Farm Security and Rural Investment. " Congressional Record – Senate, vol. 148, no. 60, Government Printing Office, 2002, pp. S3980–S3981, https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2002/05/08/senate-section.
  5. Burke, Kenneth. A Rhetoric of Motives. U of California P, 1950.
  6. Castoriadis, Cornelius. The Imaginary Institution of Society. MIT P, 1987.
  7. Charteris-Black, Jonathan. Politicians and Rhetoric: The Persuasive Power of Metaphor. Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
  8. Coker, Calvin R. "Do You Think This Is Not Happening? Rhetorical Laundering and the Federal Hearings over Planned Parenthood." Women and Language, vol. 46, no. 1, 2021, pp. 225–54, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370075725_Do_you_think_this_is_not_happening_Rhetorical_laundering_and_the_federal_hearings_over_Planned_Parenthood.
  9. Congressional Record. Congress.gov, Library of Congress, 15 June 2024, www.congress.gov/congressional-record.
  10. Cormack, Lindsey. "Data Collected from DC Inbox." DC Inbox, 2024, https://www.dcinbox.com/.
  11. Cover, Albert D. "The Electoral Impact of Franked Congressional Mail." Polity, vol. 17, no. 4, 1985, pp. 649–63.
  12. Cover, Albert D., and Bruce S. Brumberg. "Baby Books and Ballots: The Impact of Congressional Mail on Constituent Opinion." American Political Science Review, vol. 76, no. 2, 1982, pp. 347–59.
  13. DeGregorio, Christine. "Leadership Approaches in Congressional Committee Hearings." Western Political Quarterly, vol. 45, no. 4, 1992, pp. 971–83.
  14. Fenno, Richard F., Jr. Home Style: House Members in Their Districts. Longman, 1978.
  15. Gohmert, Louie. "Criminal Justice Reform." Congressional Record, 5 Feb. 2012, H797.
  16. Gross, Kimberly. "Framing Persuasive Appeals: Episodic and Thematic Framing, Emotional Response, and Policy Opinion." Political Psychology, vol. 29, no. 2, 2008, pp. 169–92.
  17. Harkins, Anthony. "The Midwest and the Evolution of 'Flyover Country.'" Middle West Review, vol. 3, no. 1, Fall 2016, pp. 97–121, https://muse.jhu.edu/article/631631.
  18. Huitt, Ralph K. "The Congressional Committee: A Case Study." American Political Science Review, vol. 48, no. 2, 1954, pp. 340–65.
  19. Klecker, Cornelia. "Flyover Fiction as Republican Identity Politics." Flyover Fictions: Polarization in US-American Culture, Media, and Politics, edited by Cornelia Klecker and Sascha Pöhlmann, U of Nebraska P, forthcoming 2025.
  20. Klecker, Cornelia, and Sascha Pöhlmann. "Introduction: What Are Flyover Fictions?" Flyover Fictions: Polarization in US-American Culture, Media, and Politics, edited by Cornelia Klecker and Sascha Pöhlmann, U of Nebraska P, forthcoming 2025.
  21. Krehbiel, Keith. Information and Legislative Organization. U of Michigan P, 1992.
  22. Lamborn, Doug. "Congressman Lamborn Opposes H.R. 2." Letter to Constituents, 1 July 2020, https://www.dcinbox.com/email/?id=165572.
  23. Lankford, James. "Regulatory Actions Affecting Veterans, Seniors, Consumers Affected by Natural Disasters." Congressional Record, 28 Feb. 2014, H2069.
  24. McMinn, Sean. "House Members Send Mail on Taxpayer's Dime, Vulnerable Ones Do It Much More." Roll Call, 10 Aug. 2016, https://rollcall.com/2016/08/10/house-members-send-mail-on-taxpayers-dime-vulnerable-ones-do-it-much-more/.
  25. Park, Ju Yeon. "A Lab Experiment on Committee Hearings: Preferences, Power and a Quest for Information." Legislative Studies Quarterly, vol. 42, no. 1, 2017, pp. 3–31.
  26. Parker, David C. W., and Craig Goodman. "Making a Good Impression: Resource Allocation, Home Styles, and Washington Work." Legislative Studies Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 4, Nov. 2009, pp. 493–524.
  27. Parker, Glenn R. Homeward Bound: Explaining Changes in Congressional Behavior. U of Pittsburgh P, 1986.
  28. Parker, Glenn R., and Suzanne L. Parker. "Correlates and Effects of Attention to District by US House Members." Legislative Studies Quarterly, vol. 10, no. 2, 1985, pp. 223–42.
  29. Redlawsk, David P., editor. Feeling Politics: Emotion in Political Information Processing. Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.
  30. Rice, Jenny. Awful Archives: Conspiracy Theory, Rhetoric, and Acts of Evidence. Ohio State UP, 2020.
  31. Roberts, Pat. "Kansas City Royals Winning World Series." Congressional Record – Senate, vol. 161, no. 170, 2015, S7755.
  32. Roy, Chip. "State of the American Dream." Congressional Record, vol. 169, no. 4, 18 July 2023, H3692.
  33. Schlesinger, Mark, and Richard R. Lau. "The Meaning and Measure of Policy Metaphors." American Political Science Review, vol. 94, no. 3, 2000, pp. 611–26.
  34. Slatcher, Richard B., et al. "Winning Words: Individual Differences in Linguistic Style Among US Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates." Journal of Research in Personality, vol. 41, no. 1, 2007, pp. 63–75.
  35. Thibodeau, Paul H., and Lera Boroditsky. "Metaphors We Think With: The Role of Metaphor in Reasoning." PLOS ONE, vol. 6, no. 2, 2011, e16782, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0016782.
  36. United States, House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary. Articles of Impeachment against President Donald J. Trump, Volume VI. Government Publishing Office, 2020, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-116hhrg39406/html/CHRG-116hhrg39406.htm.
  37. US Census. "Congressional District Data." Census.gov, 2024, https://www.census.gov/mycd/.

Similar Articles

91-100 of 110

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.