Page 37 - Historical Dictionary of Political Communication in the United States

SPEECH
CONCESSION
26
Gatekeeping; Generation X; Hypodermic Effect; Indexing; Knowledge Gap;
Limited-Effects Model; Priming; Reliance versus Use; Selectivity; Spiral of Si-
lence; Third-Person Effect; Voter Need for Orientation.
CONCESSION SPEECH is the speech given by the person who loses a po-
litical campaign. The speech's elements often include symbolic statements such
as "giving up the good fight" to make way for "a worthy opponent." Speeches
also thank those involved in the campaign and its supporters and frequently
wish the opponent success in office. They normally are made the evening of the
election as soon as the outcome becomes clear.
SOURCES: William Safire, Safire's New Political Dictionary, 1993; Jay M. Shafritz,
The HarperCollins Dictionary of American Government and Politics, 1992.
Jacqueline Nash Gifford

CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS is the coalition of African-American
congressional members organized to support and advance the causes of blacks.
Started in 1969 by Congressman Charles Diggs, Michigan Democrat, it soon
generated clout in Washington and throughout the United States. Specifically,
the caucus members worked to obtain positions on key committees and flexed
their political clout during elections. When caucus members boycotted President
Richard Nixon's State of the Union address, Nixon, realizing his blunder in not
recognizing the importance of the group, did meet with the caucus.
The group was also successful in establishing the national holiday recognizing
Martin Luther King's birthday and recently persuaded President Bill Clinton to
adopt his policy on helping Haiti gain independence. The caucus tries to think
and act as one on affairs that will affect the African-American community. They
are considered one of the most influential groups within the Congress.
SOURCES: Charles D. Lowery and John F. Marszalek, eds., Encyclopedia of African-
American Civil Rights, 1992; Jack Salzman, David Lionel Smith, and Cornel West, eds.,
Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, 1990.
Jacqueline Nash Gifford

CONGRUITY. Individuals tend to have a belief system that is internally con-
sistent, and they strive to keep the system consistent. That means that when one
attitude changes, others also change. So, if a person has a strong positive feeling
about a politician and a strong positive feeling about cutting taxes, and the
politician favors cutting taxes, there is congruity. Now suppose the politician
changes his or her mind and comes out in favor of a tax increase. That poses a
quandary for the individual. He or she may resolve it by feeling less strongly
about both the politician and tax cuts. However, if the person feels strongly
about tax cuts, he or she will then probably have a negative feeling about the
politician. On the other hand, if the person really is committed to the politician,
he or she may view tax cuts much less favorably.