National Security as a Concept and a Notion in US Political Discourse

Today interdisciplinarity is a distinctive feature of scientific knowledge. Multidisciplinary study located at the intersection of the fields of political science and linguistics presents a sophisticated expert-friendly study area, investigating the relationship and interconnectedness of the man-language-culture triad within the political realm. Thus, studying political, economic, and social challenges the state faces is impossible without due care and attention for cultural issues. The world of culture is presented by various concepts. A concept is an element of consciousness. It is closely connected with culture. The concept acts as a mental structure where values of society are fixed. The article touches upon the examining “national security” as a concept and a notion in the political discourse of the US presidents. National security is a key issue in world politics. Due to the evolution, the notion may be understood in different ways, implying both military and non-military threats to security. The article focuses on “national security” as the indispensable part of the US national interests. The speeches of the presidents are characterized by conceptualized vocabulary denoting traditional ideological values and mental characteristics of American society. One of the concepts that represent a group of vital concepts within the American culture is “national security.” Our research is aimed from a political science perspective to show the pace of changes of the notion due, first of all, to emergence of new threats and challenges and reinterpreting national interests and from a linguistic perspective to examine the “national security” concept and reveal its specific features.