Power Projection in American Congressional Hearings' Questions: A Critical Discourse Analysis

This study explores power dynamics in an American congressional hearing, held in the House of Representatives on June 3rd, 2024. The study develops a typology of power types for the oversight congressional hearings, based mainly on Yukl and Tracy (1992) and Nye (2011). Moreover, it integrates Reisigl and Wodak’s (2017) Discourse Historical Approach to critically examine the power dynamics in the questions. The findings reveal the dominance of hard power in the questions, heavily represented by coercion (pressure and legitimation). Soft power, on the other hand, is employed to address the public opinion without direct confrontation. The critical analysis shows that questioners rely on the discursive strategies, especially perspectivization and argumentation to boost their power and control over the hearing and challenge the witness. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how discourse can be utilized as a tool of power in congressional hearing. It highlights the strategic use of the questioning process which serves to display power dynamics for political gains.