2001

U.S. foreign policy is often morally barren. In their pursuit to further U.S. national interests, American policy makers hide behind the words of Mr. Kennan to justify some of the more unsavory actions taken by the U.S. government abroad. Mr. Kennan’s oft-quoted statement encapsulates the dominant school of thought in international relations: namely, political realism.

Persuasion is the essence of presidential power.¹ Since the mass media are the primary means for a society to connect politics and the public, the President cannot help considering the media as strategically important for persuading the public to support his positions in politics.² Thus, presidential power to mobilize public opinion can be gauged as presidential influence on political news.