The "New Rhetoric" is based on the idea that "argumentation aims at securing the adherence of those to whom it is addressed; it is, in its entirety, relative to the audience that is to be influenced," says Chaim Perelman and L. Olbrechts-Tyteca. Specifically, they rely on the theory of argumentation on the twin concepts of the universal and the specific audience: while every argument is directed at a particular person or group, the rhetor decides which information and approaches will achieve the greatest adherence according to an ideal audience. This ideal, Perelman explains, can be embodied, for example, "in God, in all logical and capable people, in the person who deliberates or in an elite." Like the specific audience, the universal audience is never stable or absolute but depends on the rhetor, the content, and the goals of the argument, as well as on the specific audience to which the argument is directed. These observations determine which information constitutes "facts" and "logicality" and thus assist in defining the universal audience, which in turn shapes the rhetor's approach.

The adherence of an audience is also determined by the use of values by the rhetor, another key concept of the New Rhetoric. Perelman's processing of values and his view of demonstrative rhetoric distinguishes his approach from that of the ancients, particularly Aristotle. Aristotle's division of rhetoric into three kinds – judicial, political, and demonstrative – is largely driven by the judgments required for each: judicial or legal arguments require decisions about past actions, political rhetoric seeks judgments about future actions, and demonstrative rhetoric concerns the values associated with praise or criticism and does not seek specific decisions. For Aristotle, the demonstrative kind was of limited importance in the political realm, as it did not pertain to facts or policies. PERELMAN, on the other hand, believes that not only does demonstrative rhetoric require more attention, but the values that are normally confined to this kind are actually central to all argumentation. "Demonstrative rhetoric," Perelman argues, "has significant and important argumentation for enhancing the disposition towards action by increasing adherence to the values it praises." These values are central to the persuasion of arguments across all rhetorical kinds, as the rhetor always strives to "establish a sense of community around specific values recognized by the audience."

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