In:Argumentation in Prime Minister’s Question Time: Accusation of inconsistency in response to criticism
Dima Mohammed
[Argumentation in Context 15] 2018
► pp. v–viii
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Published online: 6 December 2018
https://doi.org/10.1075/aic.15.toc
https://doi.org/10.1075/aic.15.toc
Table of contents
Preface
ix
Chapter 1.Tricky turnabouts: The puzzle
1
1.1Political language, coherence and accountability
1
1.2Accusations of inconsistency in response to criticism in Prime Minister’s Question Time
3
1.2.1A mini debate on the Government’s performance
4
1.2.2Tabled and supplementary questions
6
1.2.3Tricky turnabouts
9
1.3An argumentative perspective: A pragma-dialectical view
12
1.3.1Meta-theoretical starting points
14
1.3.2The ideal model of critical discussion
16
1.3.3Strategic manoeuvring
18
1.3.4Argumentative activity types
20
1.4Objectives and organisation of the book
21
Chapter 2.Confrontational manoeuvring with accusations of inconsistency
25
2.1Attempts to resist a discussion
26
2.2The elimination of an initial disagreement
30
2.3Argumentative confrontations: Dialectical profile and actual practice
33
2.3.1Dialectical profile of the (ideal) confrontation stage
34
2.3.2Actual argumentative confrontations
38
2.4Strategic manoeuvring to dismiss a standpoint
40
2.5Accusations of inconsistency to dismiss a standpoint
45
Chapter 3.Prime Minister’s Question Time
53
3.1Accounting for the institutional dimension of argumentation
53
3.2The argumentative practice of Question Time
59
3.3The institutional aims of the argumentative practice
64
3.4The argumentative activity type of Question Time
72
Chapter 4.The strategic function of responding to criticism with accusations of inconsistency in Question Time
79
4.1An institutionally strategic outcome
80
4.2Handling the institutional obligation
87
4.3Strategic choice of topic, audience frame and stylistic devices
95
4.4Characteristics of the turnabout
98
Chapter 5.The reasonableness of responding to criticism with accusations of inconsistency in Question Time
105
5.1The reasonableness of strategic manoeuvring to dismiss an opinion
106
5.2Soundness conditions for accusations of inconsistency to dismiss an opinion
110
5.2.1The requirement of responsiveness
110
5.2.2The requirement of continuity
116
5.2.3The requirement of freedom
122
5.3Institutional considerations for reasonableness
127
Chapter 6.Conclusions: Insights, limitations and challenges
135
6.1The puzzle revisited
135
6.2Models and tools
138
6.3A theoretical account with empirical grounds
141
6.4Multiple plausible interpretations
143
6.4.1A particular way of strategic manoeuvring
143
6.4.2A multi-layered activity type
145
6.5Are the Prime Minister’s accusations of inconsistency in response to criticism ever reasonable?
150
References
153
