Sources for America’s History: Printed Page 768
To what extent does Jackson draw upon a liberal tradition extending from the New Deal through the Sixties? Compare his rhetoric with the speeches of Franklin Roosevelt (Documents 23-2 and 24-1) and Lyndon Johnson (Document 28-1). What similarities do you see? Has the focus shifted at all?
Using the multiple perspectives gathered in this chapter, summarize both the liberal and conservative agenda during the 1980s. What was the liberal reaction to conservative policies?
Assess the historical significance of the Cold War and Vietnam on Reagan-era foreign policy. What evidence of earlier Cold War hysteria do you see in the 1980s?
Identify any changes in focus or emphasis that you see in the conservatism of Reagan in the 1980s compared to Barry Goldwater in 1964 (Document 28-5). How consistent was the conservative message?