Lyn Ragsdale, in The Journal of Poli- tics (Aug. 1987), Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, Fla. 32611.
Presidents frequently seek to sway the public with major speeches broad- cast during prime time on network television. But do these broadcasts permanently affect public attitudes toward major issues?
Ragsdale, a political scientist at the University of Arizona, studied the 93 prime-time speeches (including State of the Union messages but ex- cluding inaugural addresses) given Lyndon Johnson, Richard...