Author:

John Mirsky

Co-Authors:

Institution:

Bucknell University

Abstract

With over 70% of the U.S. population believing that climate change is a serious problem that merits immediate confrontation, it is both surprising and a serious ecological threat that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) furthered over 50 deregulatory actions during the Trump Presidency. While previous research has mostly focused on large economic models and social structures, this project takes a semiotic approach in addressing the issue by analyzing the speech of former EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler in its relationship with this outcome. Through a detailed content analysis of a 3-hour confirmation hearing and a 10-minute news interview, I analyze how Wheeler strategically employs specifically-indexed terms in a way characterized by Aaron Stibbe’s forms of erasure. Findings reveal that Wheeler utilizes all three of Stibbe’s forms of erasure to highlight the import of certainty and other neoliberal tenets in an attempt to align his deregulatory agenda with these tenets. The void-form is most prevalent, indicative of the lack of resistance met by Wheeler in congress. These actions of Wheeler make difficult the possibility of regulatory action in congress, where neoliberalism has been shown to be highly prized. Frequency analyses find that the term certainty is utilized frequently by Wheeler. In light of such findings, it may be fruitful to analyze the speech of other government officials through this lens to allow for meaningful praxis.