The Inaugural Speech: There's More in the Message Than We Ever Imagined! An Exploratory Study of the Leader's Relationship with the Community, as Reflected in the Leader's Use of Relationship Pronouns.

This paper reports an exploratory study of the words used by U.S. presidents in inaugural speeches. Language signifying inclusive relationships as in the words "we,""us," and "our," was found to have changed dramatically since the first inaugural in 1789. Study implications suggest that elected leaders and managers in fields of education, public service, and private business can benefit from an understanding of the importance of inclusive words in our communication. (Contains 16 references, 1 table, and 2 charts.) (Author/RS)