Why do politicians talk like that?

With the midterms approaching, politicians are out in full force to convince voters to elect them. And that means that we’re hearing a lot of “politician speak.” You know it when you hear it: those folksy turns of phrase, the vague promises. 

But what do linguists have to say about this vocal register? How has politician speak changed over time? Does the way someone pronounces their As signal something about their values? Sociolinguist Valerie Fridland joins Flora to decode politician speak.

Guest:

Dr. Valerie Fridland is a professor of linguistics at University of Nevada, Reno.

Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.