ASSESSING PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS IN CIVIL-RIGHTS POLICY-MAKING

This chapter compares the public communications of modern presidents a cross target groups and issue areas of civil rights. We find that atte ntion, support, and symbolism on civil rights vary considerably across individual presidents and political parry. Not surprisingly, in their public messages Democratic presidents ate more attentive and supporti ve of civil rights than are Republican presidents. Some results were e xpected, while others were surprising. Lyndon B. Johnson was attentive and supportive; but, unexpectedly, George N.W. Bush was highly attent ive to and quite nonsupportive of civil rights. Also surprisingly, on most indicators, Bush's policy statements were less symbolic and less equivocal than were Ronald W. Reagan's. Most attention is given to bla cks as a target group (although this is declining) and to the employme nt issue area. Overall, the findings reveal the considerable flexibili ty and discretion in presidents' public communications in the civil ri ghts realm.