Examining Power Dynamics in George W. Bush's Address to A Joint Session Of Congress on the 9/11 Attacks: A Foucauldian Lense

Abstract

This research paper deals with the examination of the power relations embedded in President George W. Bush's speech, delivered at the Joint Session of Congress after the September 11 attacks. Foucault's concept of power abuse is reflected in the speech. Foucault's views on power, language, and governmentality conflict are useful when assessing the relationship between language and images of leadership and sovereignty in times of turmoil. The paper concentrated on such issues as identifying the discursive field, power dynamics and knowledge production, resistance and counter-discourses, archaeology and genealogy, description of terrorism, and the call for American unity in Bush's address. In this way, the study emphasized the fact that the speech was aimed not only at calming the US citizens as perhaps the President intended, but also at explaining how the American government frames its presence in search of order and security. This analysis shows how different forces 'captured' power through various forms of speech in the aftermath of the attacks. Finally, this study provides insights into crisis management techniques featured by political discourse of power and its meanings in a wider context during the times of terror.