Political Cartoon
By: Darrel Wu and Andy Lee
"Think this crop is worth saving?" September 22, 1949
Subject - Congress is providing little assistance to schools in need, and instead focusing all the money into agricultural advancements.
Context – Education is faltering around the country and Congress is focusing on the short run by overseeing the prosperity of the economy instead of overseeing the education which is the long run. September 22, 1949
Purpose – The cartoon was formed to draw attention to the current crisis faced by the struggling schools.
Persuasive Techniques
- Symbolism- The overcrowded school represents the struggle of the education system due to insufficient funds.
- Exaggeration- The school is not as jam-packed physically as the cartoon depicts.
- Labeling- The Congressmen is labeled due to his significance in the cartoon and the teacher represents the people who support funding the educational system.
- The analogy is the comparison between the insufficient funds for schools to the immense financial benefits toward the economy.
"What do you figure this one would cost?" September 12, 1950
Subject – Investors are bribing members of the U.S. Senate.
Context - Private investors are pumping undisclosed amounts of money to members of the senate in order gain leverage in the political scene. In 1950, an inquiry set up by a House committee to see the relationship between lobbying and election process failed.
Purpose – To inform readers about the corruption in the political scene and how it still going on today.
Persuasive Techniques
- Symbolism- The chairs represent the Senate members.
- Exaggeration- Not every member of the Senate can be bribed due to his/her morals and love for his/her country.
- Labeling- The business men represents the private investors trying to gain political influence through bribery.
[Nixon hanging between the tapes], May 24, 1974
Subject – There was corruption within Nixon’s presidency with the tapes depicting the fraud; however, Nixon believed he was innocent.
Context – Richard Nixon’s corruption and attempts to corrupt the FBI, CIA, and the Pentagon were revealed when the Supreme Court mandated him to release the tapes. The tapes recorded Nixon’s conversations inside the Oval Office.
Purpose- To inform readers about the dishonesty and corruption enacted by Nixon and how Nixon still believed he was innocent.
Persuasive Techniques
- Symbolism- The ripped up tapes demonstrates Nixon’s attempt to conceal the tapes from the public.
- Exaggeration- Nixon’s dangling makes it seem like his life was in jeopardy; however, in real life he was only removed from presidency.
- Irony- Nixon maintained his belief of his innocence, in reality, he was guilty.