GovInfo & Congressional Record
The Political Story Machine
Expose the shifting narrative frames of political rhetoric: who is grammatically granted active agency, who is treated as a passive object acted upon, and when politicians declare metaphorical domestic wars.
GovInfo & Congressional Record Corpus1960–2026
The Political Story Machine & Rhetorical Framing Engine
Government archives reveal how political narratives recruit metaphor and grammatical agency to justify executive policy. By tracking decades of the Congressional Record, we expose when politicians declare metaphorical wars and how grammatical agency shifts from active subjects to passive objects.
1960s (1965 Immigration & Nationality Act)
Civil Rights, Moral Non-Discrimination & Family Reunification
Grammatical Subject:62%
Passive Object / Surge:38%
Recurrent Metaphors:
Family Tree, Door of Opportunity, Melting Pot
“This bill says simply that from this day forth those wishing to immigrate to America shall be admitted on the basis of their skills and their close relationship to those already here.”
1980s (1986 IRCA / Simpson-Mazzoli)
Labor Market Integrity & Grand Compromise (Legalization + Employer Sanctions)
Grammatical Subject:50%
Passive Object / Surge:50%
Recurrent Metaphors:
Safety Valve, Agricultural Lifeline, Closing the Back Door
“Future generations of Americans will be thankful for our efforts to humanely regain control of our borders and preserve the value of one of the most sacred possessions of our people: American citizenship.”
2000s (Post-9/11 & Real ID)
National Security, Counter-Terrorism & Border Militarization
Grammatical Subject:24%
Passive Object / Surge:76%
Recurrent Metaphors:
Breach in the Wall, Border as Perimeter, National Vulnerability
“The United States must secure its borders. We are a nation of laws, and we must enforce them... I have ordered the deployment of up to 6,000 National Guard troops.”
2020s (Current Era)
Existential Crisis, Hydraulic Surge & Asymmetric Lawfare
Grammatical Subject:14%
Passive Object / Surge:86%
Recurrent Metaphors:
Hydraulic Tsunami / Surge / Flood, Invasion / Swarm, Broken System
“Our southern border has been inundated by a tidal wave of unprecedented human flow that is overwhelming municipal infrastructure across the country.”