History of the United States II

Write on 2 items.  30points each; 60 points total; 22 points for the basic discussion of the 5 Ws: the who, what, why, where, and when of the item; 8 points for a statement of its significance, impact, or consequence).   I recommendthat you review the comments I made on your first exam and the General Comments posted on Blackboard.

What does “short narrative” mean?  Well, for one thing, consider these to be essays, just short ones.  But note that each is worth 25 points, which is quite a lot and you should take that as an indication of the effort you should invest.   So “short” means don’t go on and on but do write enough that you clearly explain what happened, why it happened, and what the significance or consequence was.  Figure out the most important points to cover, get those in, and leave out the less important stuff as long as you’re adequately explaining.  That is, prioritize.  “Narrative” means a cohesive, well-thought out written answer.  It’s not an outline, a list of bullet points, or a cryptic, acronym-filled text message.     

The discussion of significance or consequence is an integral part of an essay.  Why something was important is fundamental to understanding it.  So a blow-off “this was important because it was . . .” is not good enough.  You have to develop a discussion, not necessarily long-winded but one that clearly tells the reader why this item was significant and what its consequences were.  Keep in mind there are usually several reasons why something is important and there are both immediate consequences and long-term ones.  Don’t confine yourself to one thing. 

Be sure to include dates and examples as appropriate.  

For many of the items, I provide some prompts to guide your answer.  I do not intend that those are the only things you say about an item.  Those merely are specific points you must incorporate into your answers.   Each discussion must describe the item, give enough context, and give a significance or consequence.

REMEMBER:  for each item, it is assumed you will discuss context, the 5 Ws of the item itself, and the significance.  The prompts are simply things that must be part of that larger discussion.

Length : 500 words 

1.  Brinkley refers to “globalization” in several places in the chapters for this exam.  What does he mean by that term?  Compare and contrast the positive and the negative aspects of globalization.  That is, are there winners as well as losers in the globalization of the national economy?  Give some specific examples.

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2.  Ronald Reagan’s first term began what has been called the “Reagan Revolution”.   Why?  What was it a revolution against or about?  What groups made up the Reagan coalition and defined his first term?  What were some of the key features of his presidency?  Why did the Reagan Revolution fade?  

3.   In general, America was a prosperous and productive nation in the two decades after World War Two.  That general impression glossed over what Michael Harrington called “The Other America”.  What did he mean?  Discuss the conditions that defined this America that was so different from popular assumptions.  Who was affected and how?   Lyndon Johnson made the first large-scale, national in scope attempt to fix some of these problems.  What was his program?

4.  Brinkley describes the 1950s and early 1960s as an Age of Affluence as illustrated by the term “consumer culture”.   Discuss some of the economic and social characteristics of this “golden age”.    Mention at least three specific examples of things that represented a consumer culture.      

5.  Basing your comments on Dust Bowl, discuss the “dust bowl”.   What was the Dust Bowl and what area did it primarily affect?  What caused it, according to Worster? Discuss some of the government’s attempts to deal with this ecological and social disaster.  Although the dust bowl years eventually ended, did Worster believe that such conditions might become permanent? If not, why not