The role of self-evaluation in political discourse: linguistic and pragmatic aspect

the article examines explicit and implicit self-evaluation as key manipulative strategies in contemporary political discourse. As political communication increasingly shifts from rational argumentation to emotionally oriented pragmatic techniques, the use of the pronoun we becomes an essential tool for shaping a positive image of the in-group, reducing individual responsibility, and constructing an effect of collective solidarity. Drawing on empirical material that includes Donald Trump’s public speeches and interviews, the study analyzes the mechanisms of inclusive and exclusive interpretation of we, as well as strategies of suggestion, defocusing, and responsibility shifting. The analysis demonstrates that positive self-evaluation is frequently combined with negative evaluation of the out-group, forming the “we–they” opposition as an instrument of political mobilization. Implicit self-evaluation enables politicians to communicate “between the lines,” enhancing their persuasive impact and increasing rhetorical effectiveness. The findings indicate that self-evaluative strategies operate as a multilayered mechanism for constructing political image and managing audience perception.

political discourse, self-evaluation, self-identity, linguapragmatic analysis, inclusion, exclusion, evaluative language