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President Washington communicated with the people primarily through his State of the Union address, in which he provided his praises to Congress and suggestions for the future on what should be done about certain regulatory issues as well as certain controversial issues like the national debt.
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President Lincoln communicated with the American people via his debates with figures like Stephen Douglas. These debates were published in newspapers and helped informed the public. Moreover, Lincoln adopted the use of the telegraph for communication with his commanders during the American Civil War. Lincoln's strategy of communication differed from Washington's in that it less directly addressed the American people Still, these debates would influence the American people as they do today.
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President McKinley communicated his ideas to the American people through film. Moving pictures would showcase events like reenactments of McKinley receiving the Republican nomination. This method of communication was entirely impossible for someone like President Lincoln, but both figures certainly showcased how the most novel technology, no matter how underdeveloped, has been used by presidents to show the people their ideas and push their political agenda.
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President Theodore Roosevelt communicated his ideas to the people through mass-market national newspapers, which were largely the first of their kind. These newspapers were seen by people on both sides of the political spectrum, so they were very directly indicative of what the president believed. Previous presidents did not have access to mass-media communications to such a degree nor did they appeal to it so much. McKinley did not directly take part in films about him.
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President Franklin Roosevelt communicated his ideas to the people through what is now famously called his series of "Fireside chats," wherein he would give commentary on the United States as if he was speaking directly to its citizens. This strategy differs greatly from that of previous presidents like Teddy Roosevelt in that it was not only persuasive but also very directly targeted the audience, whereas most previous presidents could not interact directly with their intended audience.
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President Kennedy communicated with the American people through the medium of television, which was not an entirely new medium but was certainly well-adapted by Kennedy. The presidential debates taking place between Nixon and Kennedy were televised, for example, making it apparent that Kennedy was going to win. Kennedy's use of television to reach his audience of Americans differs from the strategies of previous presidents like FDR in that it used appearance. JFK looked younger and athletic.
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Clinton became the first president to send a presidential email. While it was not necessarily the main way Clinton interacted with the American people, it certainly was the first of its kind. Most communications done internally within the government in the past, like during JFK's time, would have been personal or by call. In Clinton's time, the email would facilitate rapid communication and allowed anyone to be reached at any time, demonstrating an overall change in how presidents communicated.
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President Obama was one of the first presidents to showcase communication with the American people through the use of the platform formerly known as Twitter. He was not necessarily the predominant user of it as Trump would later become, but he did adopt it to some degree. The use of social media to communicate with Americans was certainly a departure from something like Clinton's strategy, as it was digital, text-based communication that allowed the American people to respond directly.
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Especially within his second term, President Trump's communication with the American people has heavily shifted towards social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, where he makes posts regularly. These posts are often much less formal than his appearances on TV and news networks. The informality of this approach represents a huge shift from the strategy of presidents like Obama, who did not personally make Twitter posts. Trump is directly involved in what he posts and says.