Framing, Part 1: Using values to drive decisions

Framing, Part 1: Using values to drive decisions

What is Framing?•"Frames are the mental structures that allow human beings to understand reality." - George Lakoff• Frames are the neural networks, the cognitive models, archetypes, and narratives that construct meaning•Frames underlie all thought processes•Framing is a process of heuristics•In politics we search out the underlying values to construct frames of understanding

• Frames are based on conceptual metaphors that use one idea to explain or help understand another

• Lakoff & Johnson describe our reliance on conceptual metaphors: the journey – “Love is a journey”; war – “Argument is war”; money – “Time is money”

• Example: Voter Revolt

Framing the Issue: How Metaphors Create Meaning2

Examples of Framing

Framing the Issue: How Common Values Create Public Support3

“Framing is a process whereby communicators, consciously or unconsciously, act to construct a point of view that encourages the facts of a given situation to be interpreted by others in a particular manner."

--Jim A. Kuypers, Rhetorical Criticism, 2009

The Nurturant Parent vs. The Strict Father

Finding “Common Values”

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According to George Lakoff, most of us share values across the political spectrum. Conservatives and independents have some progressive, nurturing tendencies and progressives and liberals share conservative, strict father, discipline tendencies.

Shared frames of reference can serve as keywords or master themes to shape a message:

1.Love and Protection of the Land

2.Progressive View of God 

3.Commitment to Community 

4.The Honest Businessman 

5.Civil Libertarian

6.Protection of the Family

Framing the Issue: How Common Values Create Public Support

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Framing Your Message

Framing the Issue: How Common Values Create Public Support

Frank LuntzPolitical Pollster

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Keywords for the 21st Century

Paul Ryan’s Roadmap for America

• Speech, note the keywords and emphasis on values:

• http://www.roadmap.republicans.budget.house.gov/

• Policy overview, note the framing around outcomes and results: http://www.roadmap.republicans.budget.house.gov/Plan/#challenges

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Final ThoughtsA Few Framing Rules:

Values resonate. Recognize the emotional core of those values. Communicate your shared values to your target audience. Rely on shared values to translate key policy differences. Images matter. Specify abstract arguments with concrete images. Keep the frame simple, even when the argument is complex.

Target Audiences with Key Message Frames: Know your audience or decision-maker. Before developing your message, think carefully about your intended

audience or decision-maker; write out a list of their values and issues. Are you trying to convince people who already think like you or is your

target audience or decision-maker antagonistic to some key aspect? What are your shared values on key issues? What are the “Words that Work” for your audience or decision-maker?

Framing the Issue: How Common Values Create Public Support