Lexical Cohesion Analysis of Political Speech

43 Pages Posted: 4 Nov 2007 Last revised: 30 Oct 2019

Date Written: November 2, 2007

Abstract

This article presents a novel automatic method of text analysis aimed at discovering patterns of lexical cohesion in political speech. The unit of analysis are groups of words with related meanings; the software is based on the results of multi-person annotation experiment that captures reliably identified connections between words in a text. We illustrate the advantages of such a representation by juxtaposing results of a detailed handmade analysis of Margaret Thatcher's rhetoric with analysis based on the automatically detected groups of words. We both corroborate previous findings regarding Thatcher's rhetorical tools, and illuminate additional elements thereof. We suggest that lexical cohesion analysis is a promising technique to bridge the gap between quantitative and qualitative analyses of text as political material, by establishing units that are both robust enough to enable comprehensive coverage and coherent enough to support direct interpretation.

Keywords: metaphors, lexical cohesion, speech, rhetoric, Thatcher

Suggested Citation

Beigman Klebanov, Beata and Diermeier, Daniel and Beigman, Eyal, Lexical Cohesion Analysis of Political Speech (November 2, 2007). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1026942 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1026942

Beata Beigman Klebanov (Contact Author)

Northwestern University - Department of Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences (MEDS) ( email )

2001 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208
United States

Daniel Diermeier

Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management ( email )

2001 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208
United States

Eyal Beigman

Northwestern University - Department of Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences (MEDS) ( email )

2001 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208
United States

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