History 301

Devine

Fall 2013

Study Questions

“John F. Kennedy and the World”

Stephen G. Rabe

Debating the Kennedy Presidency

 

  1. What were Kennedy’s core foreign policy beliefs when he entered the White House in 1961? How were they consistent with his predecessors’ views and in what ways (if any) did they differ?

 

 

  1. What were the “lessons of Munich”? How did they shape JFK’s views on foreign policy during the cold war?

 

 

  1. Before becoming president, Kennedy expressed support for independence movements in the developing world and denounced European colonialism. How (and why) did his message change once the 1960 campaign began?

 

 

  1. How did Khrushchev’s passing remarks about “wars of national liberation” influence President Kennedy’s approach to foreign policy?

 

 

  1. How did Eisenhower’s organization of foreign policy differ from Kennedy’s?

 

 

  1. Upon taking office, Kennedy engaged in “bold rhetoric,” flaunted U.S. power, and publicly exposed the military weakness of the Soviet Union. Why does Rabe criticize this approach? What were some of its unintended consequences? Why, according to Rabe, did Kennedy’s “boldness” make Americans less secure?

 

 

  1. How did Khrushchev’s domestic and foreign policies differ from Stalin’s? Why did U.S. officials find it difficult to understand him, even when he was trying to be conciliatory?

 

 

  1. Why was West Berlin a “bone in the Soviet throat”?  Despite its ending the Berlin crisis peacefully, why was constructing the wall “politically disastrous” for the Soviet system?

 

 

  1. How did Kennedy’s involvement in the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis demonstrate both his recklessness and his restraint?  In assessing Kennedy’s conduct, what does Rabe praise? What does he criticize?

 

 

10.  Though well-intentioned, why did Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress largely fail to solve the political, social, and economic problems of Latin American nations? To what extent do Latin American governments, the U.S. government, and the reality of the Cold War share the blame? 

 

 

11.  Why did Vietnam become an area of interest for the U.S. after 1945?  What steps did previous presidents take that would influence Kennedy’s own policies toward Vietnam when he took office in 1961?

 

 

12.  What does Rabe consider Kennedy’s two “fateful decisions” regarding the U.S. role in Vietnam?

 

 

13.  How did Diem’s weakness and unpopularity affect U.S. policy in Vietnam? What lessons might have been learned from the battle of Ap Bac?

 

 

14.  From the U.S. perspective, why did the death of Diem makes things worse, rather than better in South Vietnam?

 

 

15.  With regard to foreign policy, why does Rabe conclude that Kennedy “does not merit the acclaim” that his admirers have bestowed on him?  What, in Rabe’s view, keeps Kennedy from deserving such acclaim? To what extent does Rabe’s review of Kennedy’s foreign policy support his contention?

 

 

Study Questions

“John F. Kennedy and the Nation”

James Giglio

Debating the Kennedy Presidency

 

1.           Why was Kennedy’s relationship with Congress problematic?  What difficulties did Kennedy encounter in pushing his economic agenda?  To what degree can those difficulties be attributed to the make-up of Congress or mismanagement by the Kennedy administration?

 

2.           How did Kennedy view farmers and agricultural interests and how did that affect his handling of agricultural policy?  How did agricultural policy merge with social policy and foreign policy?

 

3.           What and who were the major influences on the changes in Kennedy’s thinking on economic matters?

 

4.           How did Kennedy handle the steel crisis and what did that reveal about him as a leader?

 

5.           Although many conservatives at the time and since have viewed Kennedy as anti-business, how could one argue that he was actually pro-business?  What battles did JFK fight on behalf of business and what battles did he fight against business?

 

6.           What did Kennedy hope to achieve with his tax proposal?  How successful was he in getting his proposals through Congress and how effective were they?

 

7.           In what ways did the Kennedy administration advance women’s issues? 

 

8.           What motivated Kennedy to act so uncompromisingly in the space race?  What concerns did he and others have about space exploration?

 

9.           Why is the Peace Corps considered one of Kennedy’s great achievements? Other than Kennedy, who deserves credit for the Peace Corps and its successes?

 

10.        How did Kennedy’s personal background and political concerns contribute to his initial caution regarding civil rights?  How did the Administration show public, if token, support for civil rights early in Kennedy’s term?

 

11.        How did the Kennedy administration respond to the violence resulting from civil rights activists riding buses or registering voters?  How did the administration respond to pressure from civil rights groups such as SNCC and CORE?

 

12.        How did James Meredith and the violence in Birmingham challenge Kennedy’s views, and increase his willingness to act more forcefully, regarding race, the south, and civil rights?

 

13.        What finally convinced the Kennedys to make the struggle for civil rights a moral and political priority?

 

14.        What does Giglio conclude about the relative achievements of Kennedy’s domestic policies?