SPEECH STRATEGIES FOR MANIPULATING PUBLIC OPINION IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK POLITICAL DISCOURSE

Аннотация:

This thesis explores the speech strategies used to manipulate public opinion in English and Uzbek political discourse. The study proceeds from the view that political language is not a neutral channel of information but a strategic mode of communication through which politicians legitimize decisions, frame reality, construct solidarity, and direct public interpretation (van Dijk, 1997; Fairclough, 2015). Drawing on comparative discourse analysis, the research examines semantic and pragmatic devices such as evaluative vocabulary, pronoun choice, metaphor, presupposition, euphemism, and strategies of legitimation and delegitimation. The findings indicate that both discourse traditions share persuasive and ideological functions, yet they differ in rhetorical realization. English political discourse tends to be more explicit, contrastive, and debate-oriented, whereas Uzbek political discourse more often foregrounds social cohesion, collective identity, and ethical responsibility. The thesis argues that manipulative influence in political discourse is realized not only through direct argumentation but also through subtle framing devices that shape how events, actors, and values are interpreted by the audience.