describetoimpose

Describetoimpose is a neologism describing a rhetorical strategy in which a description of a policy, situation, or normative claim is presented with the explicit aim of legitimizing the subsequent imposition of rules, constraints, or standards on others. It combines descriptive framing with prescriptive force, using the described context as justification for compelling compliance or acceptance.

The term is not widely used in formal dictionaries but appears in analyses of political communication and media discourse. It is typically applied to cases where authorities, corporations, or organizations describe a problem in a way that makes a proposed measure seem inevitable or prudent.

A typical pattern involves three moves: articulate a problem through selective description; frame a policy or rule as the natural or necessary remedy; present the description as evidence that enforcement will be beneficial. The technique emphasizes rhetoric over open deliberation, and its effectiveness rests on audiences accepting the described problem as real and the described solution as necessary.

Critics warn that describetoimpose can mask coercive power and reduce genuine debate by turning description into legitimacy. It is related to framing, agenda-setting, and legitimization in political communication.

See also: framing, propaganda, policy messaging, legitimization.