American History: A Survey (Brinkley), 13th Edition

Chapter 31: FROM "THE AGE OF LIMITS" TO THE AGE OF REAGAN

Primary Sources

1
Read the sections of the text dealing with the differing styles, personalities, and policies of Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. The excerpts below, the first from Carter's so-called malaise speech of July 15, 1979, and the second from Reagan's State of the Union Address on February 4, 1986, illustrate the contrasting styles. Carter's address was given at a time when he was under considerable attack for his leadership, whereas Reagan's was delivered while his popularity was at a high point. Both speeches contain specific legislative agendas, but the speeches are more memorable for their general messages than for their specific proposals. Consider the following questions: How do the two documents illustrate the differences between the leadership styles of Reagan and Carter? Each speech cites experiences or opinions of supposedly typical Americans; compare and contrast the use of these examples. The America described by Reagan in 1986 was very different from that described by Carter in 1979; had America truly changed that much? Had Reagan restored national confidence through rhetoric or through long-term solutions to difficult problems? In light of the state of the nation and the world in the early 1990s, which speech was more realistic? Which was more prophetic?

Presidents Carter and Reagan

2
Consider carefully the sections the chapter concerning the end of the Cold War. The challenge facing American policymakers as we enter the twenty-first century is how to restructure foreign policy for the post-Cold War world. Secretary of State Warren Christopher confronted this challenge in his October 1993 address on the occasion of the opening of the new National Foreign Affairs Training Center, which will help prepare diplomats for the future. As you read excerpts from Secretary Christopher's speech, consider the following questions. What events during the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations led to the "historic moment [that] requires a new diplomacy"? What are the "new priorities" that Christopher outlines?

Warren Christopher

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