Questions:
Part 1:
How did the New Deal reorient Americans’ relationship to government?
How did World War II transform America’s standing in the world?
How did decolonization shape post-World War II American life?
In what ways was the Cold War similar to previous wars in the United States? In what ways did it differ? How was this war fought? Use specific examples.
What were the contradictions of the Affluent Society? And how did American life fundamentally change in the 1950s?
What communities were not helped by the new affluency of the 1950s? What led to these disparities?
Part 2:
What characterized the energy and activism of the 1960s? What happened to the idealism of the 1960s?
Discuss the Civil Rights Movement and its connection to decolonization and post-war affluency. Use specific examples.
Describe the Power Movements and their goals and tactics. How did the goals differ for different groups, and what were their tactics? Use specific examples.
How did the New Right shift political discourse in the United States? Use specific examples.
How has globalization and international economic growth changed recent American history? Discuss using specific arguments.
