CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.3. DATA SOURCES AND SAMPLES
As stated, the sources for the research data were the 46 speeches made in their terms by the three US presidents: Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, with an equal number of 16 speeches from each. The names of each speech together with its speaker and time is listed below:
SPEECHES BY BILL CLINTON
1. April 30, 1993: National Service Address
2. May 5, 1993: Remarks on Operation Restore Hope
3. September 13, 1993: Remarks at the Signing of the Israeli-Palestinian Agreement
4. September 22, 1993: Address on Health Care Reform
5. October 7, 1993: Address on Somalia
6. November 13, 1993: Remarks to the Convocation of the Church of God in Christ in Memphis
7. December 8, 1993: Remarks on the Signing of NAFTA
8. June 6, 1994: Remarks at the U.S. National Cemetery
9. January 25, 1994: State of the Union Address
10. July 12, 1994: Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate
11. October 16, 1995: Address on Race Relations
12. November 30, 1995: Address to the Employees of the Mackie Metal Plant
13. November 27, 1995: Address on Bosnia
14. June 25, 1996: Victims Rights Announcement
15. August 29, 1996: Remarks at the Democratic National Convention
16. January 27, 2000: State of the Union Address SPEECHES BY BARRACK OBAMA
1. February 7, 2009: Remarks on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
2. September 9, 2009: Address to Congress on Health Care
3. December 1, 2009: Speech on Strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan
4. January 27, 2010: 2010 State of the Union Address
5. March 15, 2010: Speech on Health Care Reform
6. April 15, 2010: Remarks on Space Exploration in the 21st Century
7. April 28, 2010: Remarks on Wall Street Reform
8. August 31, 2010: Address on the End of the Combat Mission in Iraq
9. September 23, 2010: Address to the United Nations
10. January 25, 2011: 2011 State of the Union Address
11. May 19, 2011: Speech on American Diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa
12. November 20, 2014: Address to the Nation on Immigration
13. March 22, 2016: Remarks to the People of Cuba
14. February 13, 2013: 2013 State of the Union Address
15. July 24, 2013: Remarks on Education and the Economy
16. March 21, 2013: Address to the People of Israel SPEECHES BY DONAL TRUMPH
1. January 20, 2017: Inaugural Address
2. February 28, 2017: Address to Joint Session of Congress
3. June 29, 2017: Speech at the Unleashing American Energy Event
4. July 24, 2017: Speech at the Boy Scout Jamboree
5. September 19, 2017: Address to the United Nations General Assembly
6. December 18, 2017: Remarks on National Security Strategy
7. January 26, 2018: Address at the World Economic Forum
8. January 30, 2018: State of the Union Address
9. February 1, 2018: Remarks at the House and Senate Republican Member Conference
10. February 15, 2018: Statement on the School Shooting in Parkland, Florida
11. February 23, 2018: Remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference
12. March 19, 2018: Remarks on Combating the Opioid Crisis
13. July 24, 2018: Speech at the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention
14. September 25, 2018: Address at the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly
15. January 19, 2019: Remarks about the US Southern Border
16. February 5, 2019: State of the Union Address
From the data sources, the sampling was worked out. The triggers presented in Table 3.1 were prepared for the selection of raw samples.
Then, based on the characteristics of commissives, 331 samples were finally chosen for the study
Table 3.1. Commissive triggers for sample collection Lexical Trigger
guarantee refuse intend volunteer offer pledge vow contract swear embrace covenant want take consent commit accept ensure
…
As shown in Table 3.2, it is Donald Trump who contributes the biggest number, up to 149 commissives, taking 45.02%, almost a half. It was followed by Barrack Obama, at 34.44% (114 samples) and Bill Clinton, at only 20.54% (68 samples)
Table 3.2. Total of commissives as samples in the study By
Bill Clinton N
68
Following are some typical samples of commissives from the collected data.
(3.1) Let us guarantee every American comprehensive health benefits that can never be taken away. (Bill Clinton, September 22, 1993:
Address on Health Care Reform)
(3.2) I refuse to send American troops to fight a war in Bosnia, but I believe we must help to secure the Bosnian peace. (Bill Clinton, November 27, 1995: Address on Bosnia)
(3.3) We will help Egypt regain access to markets by guaranteeing $1 billion in borrowing that is needed to finance infrastructure and job creation. (Barack Obama, May 19, 2011: Speech on American Diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa)
(3.4) It should also serve as a message to the world that the United States of America intends to sustain and strengthen our leadership in this young century. (Barack Obama, August 31, 2010: Address on the End of the Combat Mission in Iraq)
(3.5) And we‘re pouring a lot of money and a lot of talent into this horrible problem. And we pledge to honor the memory of those you lost with
action and determination and resolve. We’ll get it. We will not rest until the end. (Donald Trump, March 19, 2018: Remarks on Combating the Opioid Crisis)
(3.6) So together, let us resolve to use our power, our resources, and our voices, not just for ourselves, but for our people —to lift their burdens, to raise their hopes, and to empower their dreams; to protect their families, their communities, their histories, and their futures. (Donald Trump, January 26, 2018: Address at the World Economic Forum)
The complete sampling of 331 commissives by the three presidents, divided into different structures and functions is presented in the Appendix.