History  Compare and contrast the New Deal and the Great Society

1) Compare and contrast the New Deal and the Great Society. Under what conditions did the two reform efforts take place and how did these conditions influence them? What were the key pieces of legislation of each? What were the intentions of the supporters of each of these programs and the presidents who articulated them? Overall, did they have a positive or negative effect on U. S. society?

2) Many Americans look back on the 1950s with nostalgia and see it as America at its best, the norm to which we should strive to return. What characterized American society in those years? In what way were the years between 1945 and 1960 unusual? What realities were hidden behind those years of optimism and prosperity? Do you consider the 1950s a positive or negative period in U.S. history?

3) Describe and explain the origins and conduct of the Cold War between the aftermath of World War II and the end of the Vietnam War (1975) concentrating on the key events and disputes between the super powers. What were the long term and short term ramifications of the Cold War both at home (in the United States) and abroad? Was the Cold War inevitable or could the Soviet Union and the United States have continued their friendly wartime (WWII) relations?

4) Malaise was the word Jimmy Carter supposedly chose to describe American society in the late 1970s. What characterized this malaise? What events led to it? Do you think ‘malaise’ accurately describes American society on the eve of the Reagan Revolution? How did the Reagan administration respond to the problems of the 1970s? Was it effective? What were the successes and failures of the Reagan and Bush administrations?