The Transformation of the Frontier Concept in Election Campaign Speeches and Inaugural Addresses of American Presidents (Based on Speeches by B. Obama, D. Trump, and J. Biden)

Abstract

The American national identity was formed largely under the influence of the frontier phenomenon and, in particular, the harsh natural conditions in which the “first settlers” found themselves. Exploration of a new continent and “moving the frontier” in the historical perspective not only became geographical concepts, but transformed into mythologems that have taken root in the national consciousness and political rhetoric of the United States. The purpose of this article is to identify the evolution and transformation of the concept of “frontier” in the American political discourse of the 21st century. The subject of the study is the election campaign speeches and inaugural addresses of three US presidents – B. Obama, D. Trump, and J. Biden. As a result of the research, conclusions are drawn about the content of the concept of “frontier” in the 21st century and how its rhetorical potential is used. An analysis of the speeches of the last three US presidents made it possible to identify which components of the “frontier” mythologem become relevant in the framework of the political programs and attitudes of the country’s leaders, as well as the external and internal political situation. The author concludes that such an interpretation is one of the ways to evaluate the political message of the leader to the nation, and it might also allow determining the vector of future foreign and domestic policy at the pre-election and inaugural stages