History 301

Devine

Fall 2013

Study Questions: Alan Brinkley, John F. Kennedy

1. According to Brinkley, despite being an “Irish Prince,” JFK had a “difficult” childhood. Why was this the case? In what ways did his childhood experiences shape Kennedy’s character?

2. How does Kennedy’s senior thesis, Why England Slept, provide insight into his developing world view -- in particular his ideas regarding the weaknesses of democracy and the challenges of leadership in a democracy?

3. In taking command of PT 109, was Kennedy acting courageously or recklessly?

4. According to Brinkley, Kennedy was “strangely interested” in Hitler. Why?

5. How did Kennedy, an “uncertain politician,” get elected to Congress in 1946? Once he was there, how would you characterize his job performance?

6. What obstacles stood in Kennedy’s way as he began to contemplate a run for the presidency? On the other hand, beyond Joe Kennedy’s millions, what did he have going for him?

7. Once he announced his candidacy in 1960, what challenges did JFK face in securing the nomination? Why did he have trouble winning over liberals like Eleanor Roosevelt?

8. Despite facing numerous challenges, Kennedy won the nomination on the first ballot. How did he do it? What did his success suggest about broader changes in the American political culture?

9. In such a close election, it is difficult to cite one specific factor that was “decisive” in the outcome. That said, what factors helped Kennedy and hurt Nixon?

10. How did Kennedy structure his administration? How did his management style and leadership differ from Eisenhower’s? What were the pros and cons of his approach to running the White House?

11. What was the “Kennedy style”? What accounts for its popularity?

12. Despite winning the approval of the people, why was Kennedy less successful in pushing his legislative agenda through Congress?

13. Why was Bay of Pigs such a fiasco? What share of the blame should be put on Kennedy?

14. Why did Berlin become an international “hot spot” in 1961-1962 and how was the crisis resolved? Why was so much at stake for both Kennedy and Khrushchev?

15. Why was the crisis in Laos easier to solve that the crisis in Cuba?

16. After finishing his first year in office, did Kennedy have more reason to feel relieved or disappointed?

17. According to Brinkley, Kennedy’s treatment of US Steel CEO Roger Blough revealed the President’s “dark side.” How so?

18. What does Brinkley make of Kennedy’s poor health and sexual promiscuity? Did either matter in how he handled the presidency?

19. Why was Civil Rights such a difficult issue for Kennedy to handle? How well did he handle it? Was John Kennedy a champion of racial justice?

20. How (and why) have assessments of Kennedy’s handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis changed in the years since 1962?

21. Although it did not receive much attention at the time, why does Brinkley consider JFK’s 1963 speech at American University to be historically significant? How did it differ from his speech delivered at the Berlin Wall a few weeks later?

22. Why does Brinkley entitle his chapter on Vietnam “Quagmire”? Why was Vietnam a “quagmire” for Kennedy? What were the goals of his Vietnamese policy? To what extent were they achievable?

23. Why does John F. Kennedy remain a significant historical figure even if, as Brinkley suggests, he was not quite the “threat to the establishment” that some of his admirers claimed he was?