This planned volume will examine America's exceptionalist rhetoric as it is manifested in a wide variety of forms and venues, including but not limited to the following:
- political communication (including campaign discourse and political rhetoric in general)
- presidential rhetoric
- foreign policy discourse
- media coverage of various events
- popular/mediated culture (film, TV, radio, fiction, music, video games, and other entertainment forms)
- advertising and marketing campaigns
- art, visual symbols, and other forms of visual communication

Background:

Since even before the founding of the republic, an argument has been offered that America is a nation unique if not superior in the world, with special qualities, special roles, special responsibilities, and a special destiny to fulfill within human history. The idea that the New World could, or perhaps should, be seen as the "New Israel" and its inhabitants the new "chosen people" has thus long been prominent in American political and public discourse and has contributed powerfully to the shaping of the American mythos. At the same time, definitions and expressions of American exceptionalism have varied greatly throughout the course of US history. They surface most visibly in domestic political communication and foreign policy pronouncements. But the contemporary rhetoric of American exceptionalism can also be found outside the realms of politics and governance; expressions of belief in (and critiques and challenges to the notion of) America's exceptional nature/role can be found in communication forms as diverse as church sermons, novels, advertising, music, and movies.

Submission guidelines:

Scholars interested in submitting a chapter proposal should include: 1) a title page with contact information for the author(s); 2) a brief biographical statement for all authors; 3) an extended abstract (4 pages maximum). Final chapters should be no longer than 30 pages long. Please direct proposals or inquires to David Weiss, Montana State University-Billings (dweiss@msubillings.edu) and/or Jason Edwards, Bridgewater State College (j3edwards@bridgew.edu). Deadline for chapter proposals is April 30, 2009.