Analyzing the power and decline of oratory in modern American discourse, the chapter reflects on historical figures like Lincoln and Reagan, highlighting the importance of speech in shaping public narratives and the need for civic education to learn from their wisdom in today's political climate.
What lessons can we take from the speeches of Abraham Lincoln for today's turbulent times? How did those speeches move the nation in Lincoln's day? Listen as political scientist Diana Schaub of Loyola University, Maryland talks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about three of Lincoln's most important speeches and what they can tell us about the United States then and now.