{"id":25281,"date":"2021-05-02T04:36:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-02T04:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=25281"},"modified":"2021-05-03T10:14:25","modified_gmt":"2021-05-03T10:14:25","slug":"biden-gives-congress-his-vision-to-win-the-21st-century-scholars-react","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/biden-gives-congress-his-vision-to-win-the-21st-century-scholars-react\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden gives Congress his vision to ‘win the 21st century’ \u2013 scholars react"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Karrin Vasby Anderson<\/a>, Colorado State University<\/a><\/em>; Ivory A. Toldson<\/a>, Howard University<\/a><\/em>, and Veronika Dolar<\/a>, SUNY Old Westbury<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Joe Biden spoke to Congress<\/a> April 28, 2021, with a historic duo flanking him: two women, one of them African American. Vice President Kamala Harris called the proceedings to order; Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made the formal introduction of Biden to Congress. We asked three scholars to provide reactions to Biden\u2019s speech, which began with a recounting of his administration\u2019s accomplishments during its first 100 days and ended with his plea for unity so that America can \u201cdeliver on its promise.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A return to normalcy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Karrin Vasby Anderson, Professor of Communication Studies, Colorado State University<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visual backdrop to Biden\u2019s address to Congress highlighted what was unusual and extraordinary this year, from the masks and social distancing that signaled the continuation of the pandemic, to the two women flanking the president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMadam Speaker, Madam Vice President. No president has ever said those words from this podium \u2026 and it\u2019s about time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rest of his address was designed to further return a sense of normalcy to presidential communication that was often absent from Donald Trump\u2019s freewheeling \u2013 and sometimes rambling and abusive \u2013 rhetorical approach<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communication scholars Karlyn Kohrs Campbell and Kathleen Hall Jamieson explain<\/a> that presidents\u2019 annual addresses to Congress usually do three things: promote values; assess issues; and propose policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden promoted familiar values of American optimism, success and exceptionalism. He assessed a long list of issues facing Americans, from the pandemic to jobs, the environment to foreign policy. And he proposed a slate of policies arguably more ambitious than anything promoted from the presidential platform since Lyndon B. Johnson stumped for \u201cThe Great Society<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using antithesis \u2013 where two opposites are used for contrast \u2013 to draw a distinction between himself and his predecessor, Biden urged that America \u201cis rising, choosing hope over fear, truth over lies, and light over darkness.\u201d He also peppered his speech with alliteration, heralding \u201c100 days of rescue and renewal,\u201d after emerging from an \u201cabyss of insurrection and autocracy, pandemic and pain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden explicitly invoked a famous presidential address: Franklin Delano Roosevelt\u2019s \u201cArsenal of Democracy<\/a>,\u201d in which FDR tried to coax a reluctant nation to care about Adolf Hitler\u2019s march across Europe. For Biden, the COVID-19 vaccines are part of America\u2019s 21st-century arsenal enabling a peaceful return to international dominance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, many of the policies of care outlined in Biden\u2019s speech were couched in the language of competition. He noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping was \u201cdeadly earnest\u201d about China becoming \u201cthe most significant and consequential nation in the world,\u201d and he urged that for the U.S. \u201cto win that competition for the future,\u201d a \u201conce-in-a-generation investment in our families and our children\u201d is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The language of international competition is particularly well tuned to American ears. Even most of the Republicans in the audience rose to their feet when Biden concluded with the refrain that \u201cit has never, ever, ever been a good bet to bet against America.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a>
Biden\u2019s proposal aims to help families with a range of programs, from child care to food assistance and universal preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. AP Photo\/Charles Rex Arbogast<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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More money for Pell Grants, HBCUs and Tribal Colleges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ivory A. Toldson, Professor of Counseling Psychology, Howard University<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden mentioned historically Black colleges and universities, also known as HBCUs, as well as tribal colleges and other minority serving institutions, signaling that they are a significant part of his agenda. These colleges and universities have been shown to improve outcomes for students<\/a> who have been traditionally underrepresented in higher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden also mentioned increasing Pell Grants. President Obama used a similar strategy when striving to provide funding to institutions of higher education that serve underrepresented students. Although most students at HBCUs are eligible for the Pell grant<\/a>, Pell grants can be used at any institution of higher education. For this reason, some leaders of minority serving institutions consider it disingenuous to see increases in Pell grants as a unique benefit to minority serving institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden\u2019s spirit and tone suggested that he considered himself to be a champion of institutions of higher education that serve low-income and historically underrepresented students. He noted that these institutions have smaller endowments but nevertheless have talented students. He also noted his wife\u2019s affiliation with a community college. The Biden and Harris ticket is the first Democratic ticket since 1984 without an Ivy League grad<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the speech, President Biden released his budget proposal<\/a>. The proposal calls for US$109 billion for two years of free community college and $39 billion to cover the cost of tuition for students at HBCUs, tribal colleges and universities and other minority-serving institution. This is similar to President Obama\u2019s 2015 budget proposal<\/a>. Universal higher education is necessary to achieve educational equity in the United States, so this is a proposal that I hope will gain traction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a>
Graduation at Southern Maine Community College, in South Portland, Maine, includes newly minted firefighters and others with associate degrees and professional certifications. Gabe Souza\/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Restoring the American dream<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Veronika Dolar, Assistant Professor of Economics, SUNY Old Westbury<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. has long prided itself on providing opportunities that help Americans climb the economic ladder and earn higher incomes than their parents. Some call it the \u201cAmerican dream,\u201d but to economists like me<\/a>, it\u2019s known as upward social mobility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social mobility in the U.S. has been slipping for decades. While the vast majority of Americans born in the 1950s and 1960s earned more than their parents did<\/a>, barely half of millennials can say the same \u2013 the first generation in U.S. history<\/a> for whom that\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden\u2019s $1.8 trillion American Families Plan<\/a> aims to reverse that, primarily by making what he called<\/a> in his speech a \u201conce-in-a-generation investment in our families and our children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One big part of that is $200 billion for universal preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds. Research shows that childhood programs<\/a> targeting disadvantaged families have substantial beneficial impacts on children\u2019s health, future wages and education levels. This not only makes them more socially mobile but also boosts<\/a> the broader economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Over 100,000 readers rely on The Conversation\u2019s newsletter to understand the world.<\/em> Sign up today<\/a>.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden also wants to spend $225 billion<\/a> to provide workers 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. remains one of only a few countries<\/a> without any national paid family leave policy. Just 17% of U.S. private-sector workers<\/a> have access to paid family leave through their employers, and it\u2019s even less for low-income workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are myriad health and other benefits<\/a> for children whose parents receive paid family leave, primarily stemming from the increased regularity of baby checkups, higher immunization rates and more years of school. A study found<\/a> that after Norway introduced four months of mandatory paid leave, high school graduation and college attendance rates climbed, and children\u2019s future earnings increased. Gains were greatest for children with less educated mothers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plan also includes $225 billion for more affordable child care<\/a>, which studies show can improve children\u2019s health and increases the labor force participation and employment rates<\/a> of low-income mothers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The price tag is high, and it will take time to see a return. But numerous studies<\/a> have shown these types of investments are the best way<\/a> to promote long-term economic growth and social mobility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karrin Vasby Anderson<\/a>, Professor of Communication Studies, Colorado State University<\/a><\/em>; Ivory A. Toldson<\/a>, Professor of Counseling Psychology, Howard University<\/a><\/em>, and Veronika Dolar<\/a>, Assistant Professor of Economics, SUNY Old Westbury<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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