Framing the DREAM Act in Congressional Speeches

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: The Policies of DREAMing: Opportunities and Challenges for Undocumented Youth

Abstract

Contributing to understandings of political positioning regarding the DREAM Act, this paper reports a comparative analysis of two speeches of historical significance that were delivered by politicians filling leadership roles in the 2010 debate. The focus was on representations of problem and solution, since policies are often framed as solutions to problems. Whereas both political frames included much the same facts and background information, in one frame (the “pro” frame) the DREAM Act was the solution to a problem, whereas in the other (the “con” frame) it was the problem. Various means were employed to support the different frames, such as using a positively or pejoratively loaded term for the same referent, such as undocumented workers vs. illegal aliens.

Authors

• Yilmin Koo, University of North Texas

• Nancy Nelson, University of North Texas