USA
Watch the video below from the 2008 Democratic Primary Elections.
Even neutral observers would agree that Barack Obama ran one of the most effective and rousing campaigns in recent US electoral history. This is evidenced by the number of Democratic voters (and independent voters) who chose to vote.
Part of his appeal lay in his promise to bring change and his ability to articulate an exciting vision for US society that was shared by many. One of the roles of a political leader is to be able to formulate and present a vision to their citizens and every four years in the USA, two presidential nominees (although there have been independent candidates as well in the past) argue the merits of their vision in order to win the support of the electorate.
The fundamental difference between Republicans and Democrats lies in their envisioned role of government. Republicans consistently argue for a reduction in the size and scope of government (the federal government especially), where as Democrats believe that the federal government should play an active role in people's lives.
During this unit, we will examine the domestic policies of 5 US presidents:
The domestic policies of all 5 presidents were dominated by two main themes:
Please note that the environment will be added to this list when we learn about the domestic policies of Nixon.
While any question on these presidents for this unit will focus on domestic policy, it would be foolish to ignore the impact of the Cold War (including both the Korean War and the war in Vietnam) on domestic policy. Therefore, it is important to intertwine the Political Developments and Cold War units.
Part of his appeal lay in his promise to bring change and his ability to articulate an exciting vision for US society that was shared by many. One of the roles of a political leader is to be able to formulate and present a vision to their citizens and every four years in the USA, two presidential nominees (although there have been independent candidates as well in the past) argue the merits of their vision in order to win the support of the electorate.
The fundamental difference between Republicans and Democrats lies in their envisioned role of government. Republicans consistently argue for a reduction in the size and scope of government (the federal government especially), where as Democrats believe that the federal government should play an active role in people's lives.
During this unit, we will examine the domestic policies of 5 US presidents:
- Harry S. Truman 1945-52 (Democrat)
- Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953-60 (Republican)
- John F. Kennedy 1961-63 (Democrat)
- Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-68 (Democrat)
- Richard M. Nixon 1969-1947 (Republican)
The domestic policies of all 5 presidents were dominated by two main themes:
- The economy
-
Civil rights
Please note that the environment will be added to this list when we learn about the domestic policies of Nixon.
While any question on these presidents for this unit will focus on domestic policy, it would be foolish to ignore the impact of the Cold War (including both the Korean War and the war in Vietnam) on domestic policy. Therefore, it is important to intertwine the Political Developments and Cold War units.