History 474B

Devine

Spring 2004

 

Study Questions for William E. Pemberton, Exit With Honor

 

 

  1. How did Reagan’s parents, his religious upbringing, and the Midwestern environment in which he grew up shape his values, his personality, and his world view?

 

  1. The author notes that Reagan manifested two traits from a very early age – optimism and an ability to be “entirely comfortable with himself.”  How did these two traits contribute to his success as a politician?

 

  1. How did Reagan’s experiences in Hollywood – particularly his work with the Screen Actors Guild – influence his political views and prepare him for a later career in state and national politics?

 

  1. Why did Reagan, the one-time “bleeding heart liberal,” grow skeptical of left-wing politics by the late 1940s?  Why does the author say that Reagan was “never as liberal” as he himself remembered?

 

  1. What part did the “red scare” play in shaping Reagan’s political views?  How did it allow him to play his favorite role, the “citizen-crusader?”

 

  1. To what extent were the Reagans the “typical” 1950s family?

 

  1. Why, according to the author, was Reagan not your “typical” conservative?

 

  1. As a conservative, what were Reagan’s two “core beliefs?” (see page 45) Do you share these two beliefs?  Does that make you a conservative?

 

  1. What were the three varieties of conservatism? How was Reagan able to appeal to all three?

 

  1. What role did the notion of “American Exceptionalism” play in shaping Reagan’s political views?  What made him so popular with “Middle America?”

 

  1. How did Reagan and other conservatives use the so-called “social issues” to build the Republican party? Why did they succeed?

 

  1. How was Reagan different than Richard Nixon and George Wallace, the two other best known conservative politicians of the 1970s?

 

  1. Why did Regan defeat Pat Brown for governor of California in 1966?  Despite the Democrats’ shock, why was his victory not especially surprising?

 

  1. How does the author assess Reagan’s tenure as governor of California?  Given that the author himself is a liberal, is his assessment surprising to you? 

 

  1. In what ways did Reagan’s performance as governor offer a preview to how he would govern as President?

 

  1. What was Reagan’s strategy for winning the 1980 election?  Why did he succeed?

 

  1. Was Reagan a conservative ideologue or a political pragmatist? Or was he both?

 

  1. What were Reagan’s priorities when he entered the White House?  To what extent was he successful in achieving them?

 

  1. Was Reagan a figure head in the White House?  To what extent does he deserve credit for his administration’s successes and failures?

 

  1. What were Reagan’s strengths and weaknesses as a political leader and as a national leader?

 

  1. One observer called Reagan a “warmly ruthless man.”  Is this a good description?  Why or why not?

 

  1. Was Reagan a hawk or a radical dove?  A trigger-happy cowboy or a “nuclear abolitionist?” On the issue of US-Soviet relations was Reagan a “captive” of his advisors or his own man?

 

  1. To what extent does Ronald Reagan deserve credit for bringing the Cold War to an end?  How would you assess this aspect of his presidency?  What role did SDI play in achieving Reagan’s goals? 

 

  1. To what extent does Reagan deserve blame for the Iran-Contra fiasco?  How and why did a normally politically astute man get involved with such a dubious and illegal operation?

 

  1. Most polls currently rank Reagan as our 11th greatest President. Ten years ago, he was ranked in the bottom half.  What happened?