Publication Archive

Rockridge scholars analyze the framing of a broad range of important public policy issues.

Frames are the mental structures that allow us to understand reality. Frames structure our ideas and concepts, they shape how we reason, and they even influence how we perceive and act. Generally, we use frames unconsciously, without realizing it.

Uncovering the frames that shape political issues is a powerful technique that can benefit progressives as we seek to revive our American ideals. Our framing analyses examine the political debates of our time by addressing questions such as:

• how the frames that define issues favor specific interests and exclude others;
• how frames interact and what makes one frame take priority over another; and
• how reframing issues can reveal important truths about political issues.