We will focus on presidents of the Twentieth Century – leaders from Theodore Roosevelt to Bill Clinton. We will attempt to gain insights about American life today, including controversies about the economy, politics, social conditions, the media, and America’s role in world affairs by drawing on lessons from the American past. Class activities will include lectures, discussions, and the study of film, including excerpts from the movies. A syllabus can be found in Collab, and at the bottom of the tab for “Resources” in Collab you will find a list of questions that will guide our discussions during each class meeting.

 

Instructor’s Name and Contact Information: Robert Brent Toplin: RT2b@virginia.edu

 

Subject Area and Catalog Number: ISSS 3810,  Section 101. It is a history course, but our study also draws upon insights from psychology, economics, political science and sociology

Year and Term: 2016, Fall

Title: The American Presidency

 

Level: Undergraduate

 

Credit Type: Regular semester course

 

Description: A study of American presidential leadership in the Twentieth Century from the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt to the presidency of Bill Clinton.

 

Required Text. William E. Leuchtenburg, The American President: From Theodore Roosevelt to Bill Clinton (Oxford University Press, 2015). ISBN Number: 9780195176162

 

Learning Outcomes: A deeper understanding of history’s relevance for making sense of American life in our own times.

 

Assessment Components: Short papers and a term paper, quizzes, and discussions

 

Delivery Mode Expectations: In-class meetings, Wednesdays, 7-10 PM, August 24 to November 30 (14 meetings; no meeting the week of Thanksgiving). Activities include lectures, discussions, and supporting materials, including images and film clips.

Required Technical Resources and Technical Components: Work with materials posted on Collab.

SYLLABUS

ISSS 3810  Section 101   THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY   Wednesdays, 7-10 PM, August 24 to Nov. 30

INSTRUCTOR: ROBERT BRENT TOPLIN.l

WELCOME TO OUR COURSE ON THE AMERICAN PRESIDENTS!

We will focus on presidents of the Twentieth Century – leaders from Theodore Roosevelt to Bill Clinton. We’ll do more than just expand our knowledge about history. We seek insights that can help us to understand our society and ideas that can help us make progress in our personal lives. Since the BIS program emphasizes inter-disciplinary study, we’ll employ knowledge from a variety of subjects, including psychology, sociology, economics, and political science.  I will offer perspectives on the topics throughout our discussions, but you are an important player in this enterprise as well. I hope you will share ideas you have gained in school, work and in life –thoughts that can help us to examine the topics under study in unique and interesting ways.

Above all, we will strive to make our class meetings INTERESTING. I am a firm believer in the importance of making university study an intriguing and exciting experience. If you enter the classroom each evening with a bounce in your step and an eagerness to investigate, we will succeed in our mission.

In class and before and after the meetings I will look for opportunities to speak with each of you and get to know you better. During the first class, I’ll explain how I will attempt to facilitate these one on-one meetings with you.

Before we meet, however, I should introduce myself briefly. I have been serving as a university professor for many years. Originally I taught History at Denison University (in Ohio) and later taught for many years at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington as well as an occasional course at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Since moving to Charlottesville, I have taught courses at the University of Virginia, both in the History Department and in the BIS program. I enjoy research and writing. Over the years I have published several books and articles, and I have been involved in the development of dramatic films programs that appeared on nationally broadcast television programs. I like research and writing, but the professional experience I most enjoy is working directly with students.

Regarding contact, my email is rt2b@virginia.edu.

THE BOOK: HOW I’VE MADE IT EASY TO USE (AND SAVED YOU TIME)

Note: I recommend that you purchase the actual book (in paper) rather than a Kindle or other edition that you read electronically with a tablet, phone or computer, because I will indicate specific pages in the book where key points for discussion can be found. If you purchase the book in electronic form, you will not be able to access those pages precisely. In short, by owning an old-fashioned book printed on paper, you will find it much easier to prepare for class work, including discussions.

The principal book for class study and discussion is a new release by the author, William E. Leuchtenburg: The American President: From Teddy Roosevelt to Bill Clinton (Oxford University Press). The scope of Leuchtenburg’s writing covers our class subjects perfectly. Our focus will be on the American presidency in the Twentieth Century, precisely what Leuchtenburg examines. At first glance, the book seems large and contains a lot of information. But I have I worked through the entire book and identified just a few main questions about each chapter. In class we will focus on those questions. So . . . rather than confronting a whole bunch of information and wondering how you can deal with it, you will have a very clear idea each week of the main points that will receive our attention.

You will note that I have tried to make these questions provocative and interesting. I don’t just ask for information. Instead, I ask you to make personal judgments about some fascinating and controversial issues. You may need a few weeks to get used to this approach to the topics, but I’m willing to bet that eventually you will discover that our procedure is a lot of fun. We will see how we can draw lessons from this history – and apply some of those lessons to life today.

When deciding on your position regarding these questions, you will want to consider your values, feelings, and impressions. I believe you will find it exciting to offer an opinion on these controversial subjects. Also, before each class meeting you will have heard a lecture (a presentation from me).  I will identify some of the key issues. In those lectures I will try to frame and clarify these controversies. In other words, I will offer suggestions about those controversies in advance of your discussion.

How will I give you that kind of lead before we discuss a president’s leadership in class? The previous week you will have heard my introduction to the president. In that presentation I will raise some of the key questions and point to some of the major controversies that will be under discussion in the next week’s meeting. You will get an introduction to the topic the week before we look into it in a class meeting. By the way, the author of the book, a friend of mine, is somewhat a “policy wonk.” In other words, he gives a lot of attention to the presidents’ policies – what they did about the economy, international affairs, etc. I will add some personality profiles in my introductions. I’ll talk about the individuals’ early lifetime experiences. In short, I will try to give you some intriguing biographical background. Through those discussions, we will offer a psychological perspective on the presidents. In other words, we’ll seek insights on why they thought and acted as they did.

We have a challenge for our first meeting, of course. As you will see in our schedule, the subject is the presidency of Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt. To get ready for that meeting, please try to look into some information about Roosevelt. Check the Internet. Look at Wikipedia. And if you have the time, look at the chapter in our book, The American President. But since this is our first meeting, I recognize that some students will not have a chance to give a lot of attention to the first chapter in the book. So please look into the record of Theodore Roosevelt to the extent that you can. During that first meeting I will present an introduction to the subject, launch some discussion with you about Teddy Roosevelt, and set up the following week’s meeting with some initial comments about Woodrow Wilson.

That first meeting will not simply involve listening to me. I will encourage a discussion of the presidency by asking what you think about the current race for the White House. Through that discussion, we’ll try to identify the kinds of questions that ought to concern us as we look into earlier presidencies (and the election contests that put leaders in the White House). In other words, we will explore conditions in the present to better understand conditions in the past. We will look for insights into today’s news as a means for developing a better understanding of our nation’s history.

 

SOME PRINCIPAL QUESTIONS YOU WILL WANT TO CONSIDER WHEN READING ABOUT EACH PRESIDENT

In which ways did the president make an impact on conditions in the United States and its people? Was that impact positive or negative? Explain. Provide some notable examples to illustrate your argument.

How did the president react to international issues and challenges? What do you think of those actions? Provide a few some examples to illustrate your argument.

Which lessons can we draw from the history of this president’s leadership and experiences? In which ways is this history relevant to our times? How do some of the issues of earlier times or ideas and actions of the president resonate because we are dealing with related matters today? How is the situation today different from those the president under study faced? Does this history give you any insights on how you ought to judge present day political topics?

CLASS FORMAT

As mentioned, I will identify a variety of interesting questions about the presidents, and you will have these questions for consideration in advance of the class meeting (in the form of a handout made available on Collab). Usually these questions will ask for your opinion. The questions will encourage you to weigh in on a controversial subject. It is likely that many of your classmates will have a different judgment to offer. That is good – we want to encourage a lively and thoughtful exchange of viewpoints. We welcome the challenge of rendering judgments about controversial topics, and we want to draw some lessons from those judgments for today. By taking this approach, you will see that the study of history is not a stale and boring exercise. Instead, it is a fascinating task that asks you to take a stand on some provocative and fascinating questions.

There will be several parts to the meetings:

1. We will hold discussions about the questions that were assigned for the day.
2. We will ask about other topics regarding the president under study that interest you.
3. I will present some interpretations in lectures.
4. We will view some videos that deal with the president and his times (during several but probably not all of our class meetings).
5. I will provide more explanations about the class discussions after I see how many students are enrolled in the class. That part of our activities will focus on “relevance” – what we can take away from this history. We will ask: does our study throw some light on events and issues of our own lives and times?

BI-WEEKLY OPINION PAPERS

These are “opinion” pieces. They give you a chance to offer your personal judgments on controversies related to the presidents – controversies that are addressed in the list of questions provided for each president.

The paper should be about 2 pages, double-spaced. Half the class will be assigned to write them one week, and the other half of the class will turn in their brief papers the next week. You will learn which weeks you have been assigned to write on the first day of class.

The assignment needs to be on-time. Please do not report that you have to turn in the assignment late because your dog ate the paper!

To explain further: every other week please turn in a paper that focuses on a topic of interest about the president under study. In these papers you will explore one of the interesting controversies that characterized the presidency and offer your strong-minded opinion about it. Take a stand. Make judgments. Express your approval, disapproval, or other strong feelings about the topic. Explain why you have presented this point-of-view. These papers should not be painful exercises. Have fun! Enjoy the experience of taking a stand on a lively topic. In a sense, you are writing an op-ed about a historical subject (I’ll explain the idea of an op-ed the first day of class), and somewhere in this little essay you will probably want to point out the relevance of your judgment to the situation in America or the world today.

 PAPER PROJECT

Please consult directly with me to discuss your interests. Together, we will try to find a topic that excites you. The topic will be something that came up during the administration of one of the presidents under study. Perhaps the topic will relate to an issue that had to be addressed by two or more of the presidents we studied (that is, the matter overlapped across presidencies). The subject may relate to a topic we addressed in class, or it may relate to something that interests you that did not talk about in class. I’ll say more in class about the nature of this paper. It will constitute your final project. It needs to be atbout seven double-spaced pages. Again, I will provide more information about this during the semester.

The paper is due the week we talk about President George H.W. Bush I will return the paper to you with comments by the last day of class.

EVALUATION: EQUAL WEIGHT (25% EACH)

Bi-papers (bi-weekly): 2 pages each

In-class quiz (two). They are essay quizzes that relate directly to our presentations and discussions in class. No surprises! A week before each quiz I will give you a list of possible questions, and on the evening of the quiz I will choose a few from that short list. The broad questions, which ask for your opinion, will relate to the presidents we studied in previous weeks.

Paper Project (about 7 double-spaced pages)

Class discussion, contributions, progress (explained on the first day of class)

 

MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS

This syllabus offers just a broad overview. I will explain all matters addressed in this syllabus during the first day of class and I will be happy to answer any questions that you wish to ask.

 

THE TOPICS (ALONG WITH THE RELEVANT PAGES FROM OUR BOOK, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT): Please see the separate list below of suggested questions from each chapter (It is also in Collab) By consulting that list of questions, you will have a clear each week of the main points of our study.

August 24:  Introduction to the Course; Theodore Roosevelt, 23-58 and 64-69 (we’ll skip the material about President Taft)

August 31: Woodrow Wilson, 70-116

September 7: Harding Coolidge and Hoover, 117-142. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Part I: 143-166.

September 14: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Part II: 143-242

September 21: Harry Truman, 243-326

September 28: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 327-385

October 5:  John F. Kennedy, 386-424   Quiz: Teddy Roosevelt to Eisenhower

October 12 : Lyndon B. Johnson, 425-469 [Exam during the first hour of class}

October 19 :  Richard Nixon, 470-540

October 26: Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, 541-578

November 2: Ronald Reagan, 579-673

November 9: George H. W. Bush, 674-712  (Term Paper due)

November 16: Bill Clinton, 713-802   (Quiz: Quiz: John F. Kennedy to George H. W. Bush)

November 30: President Obama, the 2016 Elections, and the Lessons of History

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS RELATED TO WILLIAM LEUCTENBURG’S BOOK, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT: FROM TEDDY ROOSEVELT TO BILL CLINTON

Below you will find a substantial list of questions related to each chapter in the book (that is, each president we are studying). Don’t be frightened by the long list! These questions are designed to help you see the forest from the trees, the big issues rather than a lot of small facts, details, information. As you will see, all of the questions prod you. They ask for your opinion. They encourage you to have fun with these topics. They ask you to take a stand on a matter of controversy.

By offering your personal opinion about the controversy, you are likely to enjoy the conversation more. Each week, as we look ahead towards discussion of the next president, I will ask you to choose a favorite question or two from the list associated with the next president. I will ask you to provoke our consideration of the topic during the next week by offering your opinion. It is OK, by the way, to create a partnership with one of your classmates and join together in presenting that opinion.

No doubt, at times you will sense that you do not have a lot of information at your disposal when trying to make a decision about the question. That is OK. In some respects, you will need to take some risk and reach a conclusion based on limited information. Keep in mind that you can go online and read more about the subject in Wikipedia and other sources of information. Remember, the principal purpose in making a judgment is to challenge the rest of us to think imaginatively about the issue. Your goal is to arouse our interest and get us talking. You are encouraged to provoke us.

You will have a chance to project some of your own values when rendering a decision on the questions. For many of these questions, there is no single right or wrong answer. Making a judgment requires you to draw upon your values. In short, you cannot really come up with the “wrong” answer. In a sense, you are “right” as long as you back your opinion with some evidence. So feel empowered and enjoy the experience of taking a strong-minded stand. For many of these questions, the answer is a matter of personal judgment. And that is what makes this study interesting.

You will notice that many of the questions ask you to consider lessons for the present. They ask you to make a judgment about what is going on in America in 2016, based on ideas and information you have drawn from history. In other words, the questions ask you to do more than just think about history. They ask you to consider insights we can draw from the past and try to apply them to challenges in the present.                                                       

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

23-30: Why do you think historians find Roosevelt such a fascinating character?

30-40; 45-48: Roosevelt goes after big business and Wall Street: sound familiar? He pressed the case or regulation of the great corporations, too. Similar talk can be heard in this year’s presidential election. Was Roosevelt’s approach to dealing with big business a good or bad idea? Roosevelt intervened in a labor strike, too, and forced a compromise – was that something a president should do? What do you think of his approach, which was to get Washington to take a very active role in the nation’s affairs? Is that a good model for today?

40-45: Roosevelt’s foreign policy was controversial. He called for U.S. intervention in other country’s affairs and seemed eager to threaten use of the U.S. military if he didn’t get his way. Do you defend his approach or criticize it? Explain your position.

48-50: Roosevelt sounds like a “conservationist” and an “environmentalist” on these pages. Should we praise him for preserving America’s untamed wilderness?  Do “environmentalists” often go too far, harming economic development of the country?

51-57: In these pages we see behavior that could lead you to criticize or praise Roosevelt. Which negative and positive point makes the strongest impression on you, and why?

64-67: Roosevelt got into a fight with members of his Republican Party, and it led to the party’s defeat in the 1912 presidential election. Do you see any lessons in this story that party leaders should consider now when dealing with the 2016 presidential election?

 

WOODROW WILSON

70-74: In these pages we learn about Wilson’s background and early experiences, his personality, his beliefs, and his handling of his first months in the White house. What do you like or not like about him? Might this information suggest how he later handled the challenges of leadership? Should we study a candidate’s early experiences and ideas to get a good sense of what kind of president he or she will be? Might that tell us a lot?

74-79: Here we see Wilson’s extraordinary achievements during his first administration. Why did he look like a strong reformer? But note, too, Wilson’s handling of race relations (very controversial by today’s standards). How do you judge that? Information about his stand on race relations led some college students and professors to demand that statues of him in public places be taken down. What do you think?

79-83: Which lessons can we draw from the story of Wilson’s intervention in Mexico? Might that history be relevant in our thinking about U.S. policy today in troubled areas, such as the Middle East? Does this story reveal the temptations of acting in a troubled spot and fixing its problems (and confronting threats and dangers), yet also the possibility that such foreign problems are not easily fixable?

83-95: These pages show us Wilson’s handling of the war in Europe. He wanted to keep the U.S. out of that war, but he also hoped to influence the situation in Europe. Perhaps that sounds contradictory. Was he successful? Would you have handled things differently if you had been president? Could he have done better? What would you have done as president under the circumstances (dealing with a big war in Europe and its occasional impact on American interests)? What grade should we give him for dealing with the international crisis?

95-98:  Wow! A lot changed fast in American society once we entered the war. The government became more involved in the U.S. economy, starting something that would become even more significant in later decades. The government cracked down on civil liberties (including free speech) during the war. What do you think of these developments? Approve or disapprove and why?

98-99: Wilson tried to influence the voters in the congressional elections, and his party lost badly. Did he make a bad mistake in this case? Do you see any lessons for our current and future presidents in this story?

100-116: Wilson failed significantly in leading the nation toward a post-war peace settlement. In the end he seemed to get very little (almost nothing) for all his efforts. What went wrong? How much was he or others to blame? To what degree do you criticize him? Which lessons can we draw for today? Can President Obama and the next president learn something from this history of a president’s failure?

WARREN HARDING, CALVIN COOLIDGE, HERBERT HOOVER

117-126: Many rank Warren Harding one of the worst presidents in U.S. history. Why such a low rating? If Harding really was such a failed leader, which lessons might we draw from this history that can help us today as we consider the challenges of presidential leadership?

127-130: Calvin Coolidge seems to have done little during his years in the White House. He was, evidently, an “inactive” president. Yet Coolidge was rather popular at the time and won the 1924 presidential election against a Democrat by a wide margin. How can we explain this?

130-132: Here we see Coolidge’s policies taking shape after the election. What do you think of his economic policy, directed largely by the Secretary of the Treasury, Andrew Mellon? What do you think of his approach to the Mississippi Flood disaster, in which Coolidge wanted to limit the federal government’s involvement?

132-141: Herbert Hoover had wide-ranging experience and impressive administrative skills, yet he seemed unable to give the nation the kind of leadership it needed when the crisis of the Great Depression occurred. By the time Hoover left office, he was unpopular. Was Herbert Hoover partly or largely to blame for this, or can we excuse him because he had the bad fortune of being in the White House during a calamity – the Great Depression? If there had been no Great Depression, how do you think history would now judge the presidency of Herbert Hoover?

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT (Note: We will look at this chapter over a span of two class meetings)

143-146:   Americans were very nervous about the Depression when Roosevelt took the oath of office in early 1933. Yet within a short time Roosevelt succeeded in inspiring new confidence. People felt hopeful again. How did this happen? Might current presidents learn from this story?

146-153: Wow! FDR’s New Deal introduced activist federal government in a big way. All kinds of government intervention and organization occurred. Was this a good thing or did it lead to troublesome reliance on Big Government? Did it start a trend that has become too big today? Did the economic crisis justify this big turn toward federal action? We had a big economic crisis in 2008-2009 – the Great Recession -- yet the public didn’t support anything like this degree of government intervention. Why the difference (no obvious answer, but your opinion is welcomed!)

153-156: During hard times and unemployment a few years ago, an economist pointed to this history of the New Deal’s CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and asked why we did not create something similar in recent years to help our many unemployed Americans (especially during the recent Great Recession). What is your reaction to his idea? Would it work or not work now (that is, a big government-run public works program that hires the unemployed and put them to work fixing roads, bridges and other kinds of infrastructure that need fixing)?

156-160:  We can ask a similar question about several New Deal programs discussed here – help for farmers, regulation of the stock market, managing the currency, the Glass Steagall Act, etc. Do you praise Roosevelt and his team for creating these actions, or are you concerned about the degree of federal intervention in the nation’s economic affairs? Should we leave “free markets” to take care of these matters or call for more government regulation of big business in the public’s interest?

160-166: Roosevelt’s popularity is not just a product of his programs and policies. His personality and style helped. Discuss that impact on his popularity? Can Obama or the next president learn from this? Can aspects of Roosevelt’s popular style be applied today?

166-170: These pages are about the president’s handling of international affairs. They deal with the president’s Constitutional authority in managing U.S. relations with the world. These pages also show that the American people were quite “isolationist” at the time – many Americans said, essentially, to heck with the rest of the world, especially Europe, which always seems to get into trouble. They argued:  let those folks take care of their own problems. How do you react to these attitudes? Have you heard somewhat similar expressions of disgust with the world in your own conversations with people? How would you respond to such comments?

170-176: Again, Wow! Here we see FDR’s “Second Hundred Days.” The New Deal pushed so many bold measures such as Social Security, the WPA, new building projects, including big dams, the Wagner Act that aided labor unions. Do you approve of these? What do you think of FDR’s statement, quoted on p. 175, which seems to sum up the larger meaning of these programs? Roosevelt said, “Government has a final responsibility for the well-being of its citizenship. If private co-operative endeavor fails to provide work for willing hands and relief for the unfortunate, those suffering hardship from no fault of their own have a right to call upon the government for aid; and a Government worthy of its name must make a fitting response.” In today’s America, could a presidential candidate say such a thing? What might be the public reaction?

176-183: FDR won a huge victory for himself and his party in 1936. How was that accomplished? What did Roosevelt say or do that appealed to so many Americans? What do you think of his appeals to the voters as described here – do you agree or disagree with them? Suppose a presidential candidate made such an appeal this year? What would the reaction be?

183-188: These pages describe one of FDR’s most controversial moves – an attempt to “pack” the Supreme Court? Did he gain or lose from this tactic? Was he justified or not justified in making such an attempt? Regarding today’s U.S. Supreme Court, do some groups wish they could change the Court? Is the Supreme Court truly above politics, or is it often greatly influenced by politics and ideology?

188-205: Here we see FDR trying to get the American people to appreciate the need to help Britain and prepare for the possibility of war, but he faces obstacles because many Americans are in an isolationist, non-interventionist mood. What do you think of FDR’s techniques, which were often sly and not completely honest with the American people? Did his ends justify his means, which were to save Britain and prevent Hitler from gaining vast control over Europe? Is it OK sometimes for presidents to twist the truth a bit in the interest of national security? Regarding the Japanese’ surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, some say it involved a conspiracy involving FDR. How would you respond if someone told you it was a conspiracy??

206-218: How do you assess FDR’s important wartime decisions such as managing the war, choosing his top generals, deciding to support development of an atomic bomb, stressing the Atlantic first and the Pacific second (defeat Germany first, Japan second), his decision to aid Joe Stalin and his Soviet Union during the war, demanding “unconditional surrender,” and what do you think of this handling of the Holocaust and the Jews seeking asylum from persecution? Many big issues to deal with here, but choose a few and offer your judgment.

218-221: Your thoughts on FDR’s handling of strikes by unions during the war, the high taxes on income imposed or the wealthy, and his “radical” State of the Union message in 1944? Do you agree or disagree? Does Roosevelt get high marks or criticism for these wartime moves?

225-227: Internment of the Japanese-Americans during the war: justified or not justified?

227-232: FDR was growing older and weaker. Was it wrong for him to run for another term as president in 1944? Are we in better shape today in determining when our presidents are incapacitated and unable to serve effectively and need to step aside? Why did FDR win a fourth term in 1944?

233-237: Why did FDR give in to Stalin of the Soviet Union at Yalta? Can you defend the president, or do you criticize him? Could he have been tougher in dealing with the communist leader?

237-242: The author assesses FDR’s leadership in these pages. What is his conclusion? Do you agree or disagree?

HARRY S. TRUMAN

243-247: Truman lacked the personality and charisma of FDR. He had a difficult time taking the reins of leadership. Discuss. What do you think of the revelation that Truman was not well-informed about the government’s activities while he was Vice President? Which lessons should we learn from that history?

248-252: Truman decided to use atomic bombs on Japan. What would you have decided if you had been in his shoes?

252-260: Once the war was over, Truman had a mess on his hand: strikes, union demands, and inflation. People were growing unhappy, and it looked like Truman would lose the 1948 presidential election. How well did Truman handle these challenges?

260-264: Truman decided he could not trust the Russians, so he took a tough stand in dealing with them. Did he do the right thing? Was he too confrontational, or did he act appropriately? Also, Truman rejected the ideas of Henry Wallace, judging Wallace naïve in his assessments of the Russians. What do you think of Wallace and his ideas?

264-275: Truman’s popularity sank, but then he began to recover. He started to look like an active and strong-minded president. He took a strong stand on civil rights, for example. How did he begin to turn things around in his favor? Any lessons here for today’s presidents about how to recover one’s lost popularity?

275-282: Discuss the importance of Truman’s tough stands in dealing with the Russians during the Cold War such as his promotion of the Truman Doctrine (which included aid for Greece and Turkey), the Marshall Plan, and the Berlin Airlift. Were these great efforts to “contain” the Soviets?

283-288: Truman was expected to face a big loss in the 1948 presidential election, yet he surprised many political observers and won. How did that happen? Any lessons here for today’s presidential candidates?

288-294: China fell to the communists: inevitable or we could have prevented that fall? What was the political impact in America of that change in China?

294-298: The “Red Scare” began – intense fear of communism by the American public and worry that there were dangerous communist sympathizers in high places in U.S. society and government. Was there a major infiltration of communists in the USA? Did Truman do enough to respond to charges of communist infiltration in the U.S. government?

298-302: The Korean War proved a frustrating mess and eventually became very unpopular. Why? If you had been president at the time, might you have done something during the period of the Korean War to make it less frustrating and unpopular?

302:308: The leadership of General Douglas MacArthur in the Korean War and his attempts to influence U.S. war policies: did MacArthur get out of line? If you had been president, would you have fired him? And if you did, how would you deal with the angry Americans who thought MacArthur was a hero?

308-310: What were the long-term consequences of the Korean War on U.S. politics and foreign policy? In other words, how did that war change things in important ways?

310-316: Truman’s woes – corruption, scandals, etc. Was his administration really a mess,or were the criticisms blown out of proportion?

316-320: The presidential election of 1952: Why did Eisenhower, a Republican, win and Stevenson, a Democrat, lose? Can the presidential candidates in this year’s election learn anything from a study of that 1952 election?

320-326: Despite Truman’s low popularity when he left the White House, his reputation climbed in later decades. Why? How do you think Americans view him today, and why?

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

327-330: We made this general and war hero our president, but we haven’t selected a military man as president since. Why not? Generally speaking, would a top general likely to be a good president, or not necessarily? People “trusted” Eisenhower – why? Why don’t we “trust” many of our politicians today? What explains Eisenhower’s popularity and image of trustworthiness?

330-332: We think of the Fifties as Happy Days when there was not much to worry about. But the author points to some big tensions in the times. What are some examples of that undercurrent of worries in the Fifties? Are we past such worries today?

332-336   Foreign policy under Eisenhower: What do you think of Dulles’s idea of “liberating” the people of Eastern Europe who were under Soviet domination? Good idea or lsubject to problems at that time? Dulles believed in “brinkmanship” when dealing with the Russians and others. What do you think of that? Good or dangerous idea? Did Eisenhower play an important role in ending the Korean War?

336-338: Should Eisenhower be praised or criticized for his handling of troubles in Vietnam (in those days called Vietnam was called Indo-China)?

338-341-   Here we see some controversial situations concerning U.S. relations with Iran and Guatemala and the CIA’s secret operations. Do you defend or criticize these actions? Do you think these operations made matters better or created new problems that troubled us in later years?

341-346: In these pages Eisenhower sometimes appears to be a conservative and a close friend of Big Business, and sometimes he takes actions that seem rather liberal. Is it possible to label him as predominately one or the other, conservative or liberal?

346-351: Senator Joseph McCarthy was engaged in some outrageous behavior while Eisenhower was president. How do you judge Eisenhower’s handling of this problem? Did he make a significant contribution to the efforts to limit McCarthy’s influence or fail to deal with the challenge? What grade do you give Eisenhower in this matter, and why?

355-358   During Ike’s second term, a special challenge developed. The Russians placed Sputnik in outer space. Why did that seem shocking and important at the time?

360-367: How do you judge Eisenhower’s positions on civil rights for African Americans? Was Eisenhower a true friend of black Americans?

369-374: Eisenhower had new problems with the downing of the U-2 spy plane by the Russians and Castro’s moves toward communism in nearby Cuba. How well did the Eisenhower Administration handle these challenges? Could the administration have been more effective, or were these troubles inevitable – that is, beyond its control?

374-379: Nixon versus Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election: Which one would you have voted for and why? Why not the other? Why did Kennedy win this close election? Any lessons in this story for today’s presidential candidates?

379-386: The author assesses Eisenhower’s presidency. How does the author (and how do you) rank Eisenhower? One of the best? Better than average? Average? Less than average? Poor? Explain your choice.

JOHN F. KENNEDY

386-390: Why was the public so excited about Kennedy? What was his appeal? (Note: you may want to draw some ideas from later pages in this chapter, too, when addressing this question).

390-393: The Alliance for Progress (involving Latin America) and the arms race with the Russians: Why did Kennedy press these efforts? Was he right to emphasize these initiatives?

394-399: Kennedy faced two difficult crises early in his administration – the Bay of Pigs invasion and the crisis related to the Russians building the Berlin Wall. Did he handle these challenges well? Could he have done better, or were matters pretty much out of his control?

399-401: Did Kennedy get the economy “moving again,” as he promised? Does he deserve credit for economic progress? In fact, does any president deserve a lot of credit for the state of the economy during his or her watch, or can we say that other factors that influence the nation’s economic performance?

401-406: Regarding African Americans and civil rights, was Kennedy a better friend of black Americans than President Eisenhower or rather similar?

406-411: The dangerous Cuban Missile Crisis: If you had been president, would you have handled it as Kennedy did? How close did the world come to nuclear holocaust? Which lessons might we draw from the history of this event, lessons that current and future presidents should consider?

411-414: Kennedy didn’t live to show us how he would handle Vietnam, but let’s speculate on the basis of historical evidence. Do you think the Vietnam War would have escalated greatly if he had lived and was reelected president in 1964? Do you think there would have been no big Vietnam War if he had lived and remained president for another term? (Note: this remains a lively topic of debate and speculation. Join the conversation, even though it is impossible to be sure of any answer).

414-420: Discuss matters of character described here, such as Kennedy’s personality, wit, and intelligence. Does this discussion show why many Americans were deeply shocked when he was assassinated?

420-424: Here we see the darker side of Kennedy, including his womanizing, his support for secret CIA missions of questionable ethics, his diseases and dependency on drugs, etc. Does this information seriously undermine your impression of the president and his leadership? Should we emphasize a discussion of these personal matters when assessing presidential leadership, or are these minor considerations, since public policy is what should primarily concern us?

LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON

425-429: The personality of this Texan was so different from that of Kennedy’s. Do you find LBJ interesting? Would you want to meet him and talk with him? Or do you find him repulsive and unappealing? Does he seem like a good person to serve as president?

429-437: Wow! LBJ did so much to bring reforms to American life. How did he get so much accomplished? Which lessons might be learned by our current and future presents about LBJ’s ability to get things done in Congress? What do you think of some of his legislative accomplishments? Is the point mentioned near the end of these pages correct – that LBJ’s efforts for civil rights ensured that Democrats would eventually lose the white South in American elections?

437-439: You go to the voting booth in the 1964 presidential election. Johnson or Goldwater: which do you choose and why? Why did you reject the other? Explain your choice.

439-441: The Tonkin Gulf Resolution concerning Vietnam: which lessons should we draw from this history? Does this information make you angry? If so, why?

442-452: “The presidency today is at the peak of its prestige,” wrote a political scientist after LBJ secured so much new legislation to aid the American people such as education reforms, environmental reforms, Medicare for the aged, immigration reform, and voting rights legislation. What do you think of these? Did they help bring the country to its “peak” in the 1960s?

452-468: On these pages we see LBJ sinking deeper and deeper into war in Vietnam. Was this inevitable? Could he have taken a different, more peaceful path? If so, why didn’t he?

RICHARD NIXON

470-472: The author suggests that Americans experienced too much tumult in the 1960s. They wanted leaders to tone down the heated rhetoric, and Nixon responded to this desire. How did he attempt to do that? Was he successful? Of course, you may want to read through this entire chapter before answering this last question.

471-479: Discuss Nixon’s personality, including his dark side, his tendency to fear enemies, and his interest in seeking revenge for supposed disloyalty or slights. Did Nixon have significant psychological problems? What are your reactions to this information?

478-482: As you read about Nixon’s leadership style and his dependency on aides like Henry Kissinger and H. R. Haldeman, what do you think of him?

482-488: You are an African American in the Nixon years. What do you think of the President? Is he your friend and ally? A big disappointment?  Something in between?

488-495: Some people think Nixon was a conservative, but here we see that he promoted – or, at least, accepted – many liberal reforms. Should liberals be appreciative? Was he their “friend” and “ally” – or really a phony friend?

495-500: Do you approve or disapprove of the Nixon Administration’s moves regarding Chile, Russia, and China? (note that these are quite different examples, and you may agree with some and criticize others)

500-503 and 518-520: Why did Nixon’s approach to Vietnam and Cambodia prove so controversial? Do you praise or criticize the president for his handling of these Asian nations?

507-517 and 522-534: over many pages the author describes events that led up to the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s resignation. Some feel the President did not engage in terrible, criminal behavior. They argue that other presidents did something similar or worse. On the other hand, some feel Nixon engaged in very serious crimes. Watergate, they say, was a large and significant scandal, not a small matter. What do you think?

534-540: Here the author assesses Nixon’s leadership. Essentially, what does he say? What is your assessment of Nixon?

GERALD FORD AND JIMMY CARTER

541-545: President, Gerald Ford had to make a decision about whether to pardon the former president or make him face a trial and a possible prison sentence. If you were Gerald Ford, how would you decide?

546-557: When Gerald Ford assumed the presidency, there was good feeling in the land. He was popular. But within a few years, he lost favor with many Americans. By the time of the 1976 presidential election, many Americans were unhappy about the economy, our foreign affairs and other matters. People were not in a good mood, and Ford lost the election. What were the problems that led to his loss?

557-562: At first glance, Jimmy Carter looks good. He wanted to dismantle the “Imperial Presidency” and make Washington more democratic. But do you see signs of trouble in these pages – examples of his future weaknesses as a leader?

562-569: Here were see the moralistic president trying to do some good but he alienates both conservatives and liberals and loses a lot of popular support. If you had been his key adviser, which recommendations for improvement would you make to him?

569-573: You are Carter’s top adviser on foreign policy. What do you recommend to him as he deals with challenges such as a) The Panama Canal b) the Russian invasion of Afghanistan c) the Iranian hostage crisis? Did Carter handle the crisis well involving the Israelis and Egyptians?

573-578:Carter vs. Reagan in the 1980 presidential election: Carter faces difficulties and challenges. You are his political adviser. What do you recommend for Carter’s campaign strategy and speechmaking?

RONALD REAGAN

579-581: Discuss Reagan’s cheerful, upbeat personality and outlook. How did it influence the public at that time in history? Can current presidential candidates learn from this?

581-590: Does this information shake up your image of Reagan? Some complained that Reagan was not well aware of what was going on, that he was uniformed and often influenced greatly by what he saw in the movies. Or is this just interesting background information that doesn’t diminish Reagan’s image, record, or standing?

592-604: Reagan promoted conservatism, big tax cuts and a large military buildup. He fired the air traffic controllers (in the PATCO strike) and cut regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency. He diminished money for the Superfund cleanups of toxic waste, and he was not very supportive of the Voting Rights Act. What is your reaction? Do you agree with his actions or criticize them? (it’s OK if you approve of some and disapprove of others)

605-607: What was “Supply-Side Economics”? Do you support it or disapprove of it, and why?

608-616: What do you think of some of Reagan’s important moves in foreign policy such as his relationship with the Soviet Union (the Russians), his handling of trouble in Beirut, a city in Lebanon, his invasion of the Caribbean island of Grenada, and other actions discussed here?

616-621: The economy dipped and Reagan’s poll numbers dipped, too, but then the economy recovered, Reagan’s popularity grew. What can we learn from this pattern in history? Might the state of the economy on election day be a big factor in influencing the election outcome in 2016?

621-624: Reagan won big in 1984. Why and how? Any lessons here for this year’s election and candidates?

631-633: The Savings and Loan Scandal: How bad was it? Why did it happen? Who is to blame? What went wrong? What should we learn from this history so that a related mess does not occur again?

633-641: There was a new peace breakthrough and agreement in the works on nuclear weapons that involved the United States and the Russians. How did this happen? Who deserves the credit: Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev (the Soviet leader), some other person, or both Reagan and Gorbachev?

641-656: The author gives us a long and detailed description of the Iran-Contra Scandal. What was it about? How serious was it? Was Reagan responsible for much of it? Did it hurt Reagan’s popularity?

662-673: An assessment of Reagan’s leadership: How does the author conclude, and how do you conclude? What overall grade do you give Reagan for his leadership and his impact on America and the world?

GEORGE H. W. BUSH

674-679: Reagan was a tough act to follow for Bush. What were the challenges? Did Bush handle these challenges well?

679-683: You are a conservative: how do you feel about Bush’s domestic policies? You are a liberal – how do you feel?

683-691: Here we see President Bush dealing with some major challenges on the international scene. In your judgment, did he “do the right thing” when dealing with each of these situations??

1. The collapse of the Soviet Union
2. The tragedy of Tiananmen Square in China
3. Manuel Noriega in Panama
4. The unification of Germany (formerly communist East Germany combined with non-communist West Germany)

692-697: The Persian Gulf War and the threats from Saddam Hussein in Iraq: did Bush “do the right thing” in calling for war and also deciding not to overthrow Saddam Hussein?

697-700: When the Soviet Union collapsed, the Cold War ended and America became the world’s lone superpower. What was the impact of that “victory” in the Cold War on the American people and America’s place in the world? Did it make our nation’s situation much easier, or did it open up new problems?

700-712: Bush was getting ready to run again in the presidential election, but many of his fellow Republicans made that effort difficult. Why did Bush run into these problems with members of his own party? Did these problems contribute significantly to his loss in the presidential race of 1992?

703-712: Bill Clinton won the election of 1992, despite some personal problems and despite Bush’s popularity during the Persian Gulf War, which ended just a year before in 1991. How can we explain Clinton’s victory and Bush’s loss?

BILL CLINTON

713-718: Some complained that Bill Clinton was undisciplined and directionless. They say he took too much advice from his wife, and these critics note that his presidency got off to a bad start – Clinton stumbled quickly. Discuss these criticisms and indicate whether you feel they are serious.

718-723: Clinton turned to the right (that is, he became more conservative) to save his presidency. What do you think of Clinton’s political shift? Do you defend Clinton or criticize him?

723-725: Maybe Clinton was very much a liberal (or, as we say today, a “progressive”), evidenced by these measures, which he pushed. What do you think?

731-733: Evaluate Clinton’s handling of various foreign policy challenges such as his approach to Somalia, Haiti, the Balkans (formally Yugoslavia), and Rwanda. Were his approaches to these challenges wise or flawed?

731-733: Perhaps Clinton’s most controversial decision about foreign relations related to his support for NAFTA. What was NAFTA, and why was it controversial (indeed, it remains very controversial today)? Would you have supported NAFTA at that time or opposed it? From today’s perspective, does it seem a wise move? Explain.

737-743: Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton hoped to achieve a major breakthrough with their new health care bill. But the proposal didn’t win enough support in Congress. What went wrong? Could Bill and Hillary have been more successful if they had tried a different strategy, or was defeat at that time almost inevitable? Was health care reform an idea “before its time”?

743-759: New Gingrich and the Republican-dominated Congress gave Bill Clinton a hard time, but in the end Clinton looked like a winner and Gingrich the loser. How did that happen?

755-763: Bill Clinton won a second term in the 1996 election – just two years after his party suffered a bitter defeat in the 1994 congressional elections. How did Clinton pull off this victory? Was victory a product of his political skill or largely a product of favorable conditions in the United States and the world at the time (conditions that gave candidate Clinton a lucky break)?

766-791: Here we get a long, detailed discussion of the scandal involving Monica Lewinsky and the threats of impeachment. How should Clinton be judged in this situation? Some think he made terrible mistakes, but this scandal was largely a private matter and the president ought to be judged primarily on his public policies – including successes and failures regarding the economy, foreign policy, etc., not his personal and private shortcomings. Others believe the Lewinsky affair represented an extraordinary moral failure, and it sent a terrible message to the American people. They say Clinton should have been removed from office. What do you say, and why?

795-802: Clinton’s leadership assessed. What does the author say, and what do you say? Which grade do you give his record, and why?