Communication and language strategies used in the democratic public policy process

Abstract

This dissertation is an investigation into the type of language or discourse that is used in the policy process with the aim of giving a description of the characteristics of the language or discourse of public policy for public policy. This, therefore, includes a description of discourse and communication strategies by means of which stakeholders in the decision-making process (and ultimately also ordinary citizens) persuade or manipulate or are persuaded or manipulated to accept policy on issues directly affecting them. Newspaper articles which reported on the “Plastic Bag Policy” debate are analysed to discover which language or discourse strategies have been employed.