Persuasiveness and expressiveness in American political discourse (2020-2021)

The aim of the present study is to demonstrate the use of the linguistic category of expressiveness for persuasive interaction in the US political discourse for 2020-2021. The subject of the paper is expressive ways of persuasion inherent in American political discourse. The object of the study is lexico-grammatical means of persuasive speech strategies. The following methods are used in the work: the pragmatic method, comparative analysis, content analysis, discourse analysis, distributive analysis. Transcripts of speeches by US politicians utilizing expressive communication as a tool for achieving persuasion sampled for the time period of 2020-2021 make up the material of the present study. The paper reveals the nature of the concepts of ‘persuasiveness” and “expressiveness”, analyzes the ways of their interaction in political discourse, their place in the theory of speech impact from the perspective of political public communication, as well as considers and presents a compiled repertoire of expressive linguistic means used by speakers to influence the audience. Conclusions to the study: expressiveness and persuasiveness, while remaining independent linguistic categories, overlap in political discourse, serving as means for convincing the addressee to accept a belief or opinion by appealing to the emotions of the addressee.