Inspiring the Nation

This chapter analyzes inaugural addresses delivered by six US presidents during the last four decades (1981–2021). Three speeches by Republican presidents and three speeches by Democrat presidents have been selected for analysis; to establish how the key myths defining American nationhood function in a bipartisan system in which national leaders are elected from either the Republican or the Democratic Parties. The Democratic presidents whose inaugural addresses will be discussed in this chapter are Bill Clinton (1993–2001), Barack Obama (2009–2017) and Joe Biden (2021–2025). The Republican presidents are Ronald Reagan (1981–1989), George W. W. Bush (2001–2009) and Donald Trump (2017–2021). The inaugural address is part of the solemn ceremony of being sworn into the US presidential office. The newly elected national leader delivers a speech, in which he strives to represent the beginning of his new term of office as a dawn of progress and new opportunities. At the same time, the inauguration ceremony underscores the continuity of the country’s democratic process and the stability of the Union.