Essay On Frank O 'Connor's Guests Of The Nation'

In the year of 1776, the United States became an independent country. At that moment, the great men who fought for its independence began to create the government and shape American politics. In Richard Hofstadter's The American Political Tradition and the Men Who Made It, he identifies twelve of the most influential men and the political traditions they created, including the Founding Fathers who started it all. Additionally, Hofstadter informs the reader of other significant government officials including Andrew Jackson and his democracy, the progressive, trustbuster Theodore Roosevelt, and ending with Franklin D. Roosevelt and his programs of the New Deal. Richard Hofstadter's ideas are brilliantly

In this essay Buckley aims to convince his readers that America is too lazy to even mention their own predicaments. He then goes on to explain Americans passive acceptance of circumstances. In doing this he uses several anecdotes based on his past, using careful diction and to keep his audience engaged he sprinkles in rhetorical questions.

Negotiations between inmates and authorities stalled but, eventually the inmates come up with 11 demands which included basic prison conditions like overcrowding, inmate discipline, educational services and improving food. The prisoners also demanded to talk to independent federal officials and members of the news media. In exchange they released the 12 officers held hostage. Some officers were badly beaten and raped but, others were protected by other

Throughout history, Americans have sought to spread the spirit of equality, which is believed to be the realization of true freedom. Before establishing this freedom, every American had only one question stuck in their head: What is freedom? Our country received it in the year of 1776 from the British through a series of difficulties and wars. African Americans defined it as an escape from slavery, while immigrants defined it as their acceptance into a new society. More yet, women of the women’s suffrage defined their freedom as their recognition into society and for their rights to be equal to that of every other man. These different perceptions of cultures/groups in America tied together to form an American view of freedom. Freedom is

The title of the show I watched was Join or Die, a part of the John Adams series shown on HBO in 2008. The director of this series was Tom Hooper, who won an Emmy Award in 2006 for his directing of another miniseries. The major stars of Join or Die in the John Adams series were: Paul Giamatti (playing John Adams), Laura Linney (playing Abigail Adams), and Danny Huston (playing Samuel Adams). This series gives insight into John Adams’ life in a modern perspective.

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was the president of the United States during the time of 1901 to 1909. He was vice president during William McKinley’s term. When McKinley was assassinated in 1901 by Leon Czolgosz, Roosevelt had to step up. He was a Republican, but his foundations were more progressive. This plays a part in why he did not get the Republican nomination in the year 1912. He lost the nomination to his handpicked successor Taft, who had run as president in the previous term (1909-1913). When he did not get the nomination, Roosevelt decided to run as a third party which he called the bull moose party. By doing this, it splits the Republican vote between Taft and Roosevelt. This has a large effect on the election, causing the Democrat Woodrow Wilson to become president. Woodrow Wilson was president from 1913 to 1921 with World War I happening in 1914. Wilson declared neutrality. Because of this, some people ask, “What if Theodore Roosevelt has been president during World War I?” In the article, “The Election of Theodore Roosevelt, 1912” by John Lukacs, he writes about an alternate universe of sorts where Roosevelt wins the Republican nomination and the presidential election of 1912. In this report, the following questions will be answered: Was Roosevelt a productive president? How do Roosevelt and Taft compare and contrast, as well as Roosevelt and Wilson? Would Roosevelt be an efficient president if he won the 1912 election? My thoughts are weaved throughout the

In Tom Brokaw’s book, The Greatest Generation, the author portrays ordinary people of a certain generation as having qualities of greatness and heroism. He tells stories of average people that lived inspiring lives through many hardships, and declares today’s society as the beneficiary of their challenging work and commitment. Brokaw’s generous and proficient use of imagery helps to persuade the reader to believe that the people of “the greatest generation” are, indeed, heroic. He defines the strength and resilience of “the greatest generation” by what they were able to confront and overcome.

As President John F. Kennedy once said,“Camelot has ended again. Which means that it has ended before. And probably will again. For it is a legend, and legend seldom dies for long, if at all.” The legend of Camelot has lived on in the hearts and minds of many fellow Americans.  Kennedy’s presidency reminded many of the reign of King Arthur because of his chivalry, his determination, and his family resemblances.

“The Greatest Generation” is a term used to describe the generation who were the children of the Great Depression and who became the adults of the Second World War (Brokaw). There may be strong reasons why other generations may be considered great. The generation born during the war undertook the task of putting a man on the moon. This is perhaps the most important of all human endeavors. They are certainly worthy of being considered great but not the greatest. In fifteen years America and indeed the world endured the crushing poverty of the Great Depression and the costliest war in all of human history. The enormous struggles and accomplishments of this generation is what makes it the greatest.

The conservative movement has played a crucial role in American politics in the post war era. Ronald Story and Bruce Laurie indentify various elements of the American conservatism. These elements include challenging authoritarian governments and modernist culture, upholding tradition, Christian religion and the rule of law, defending western civilization, and supporting republicanism. American conservatism has been characterized by competing ideologies and tension throughout history. The Americans who are politically liberal and economically conservative favor free trade, minimal state intervention, low taxes, and a small government. On the other hand, conservatives hold the view that American traditional values are normally undermined by

The president is the foreign policy leader for the United States with an important political, military and economic role in the international arena. If there is collision between the president and congress, can congress restrain the president in foreign policy making?

What William F. Buckley Jr. is saying in this quote is that we should make sure to keep passive compliance in check and make sure it isn't controlling our whole population. I agree with what Mr. Buckley Jr. is saying because there are multiple instances of "passive compliance" happening in this society. For example, when I was watching a couple of news networks, such as ABC and NBC, I remembered a video where a group people helped a stuck person under a burning car while there was a single person who didn't contribute to the effort of helping the group get the stuck person. This type of behavior is dangerous for our society because if everyone just started to act this way then who will come to our aid when we desperately need help in return.

The late president John Fitzgerald Kennedy once said, “Sure it's a big job; but I don't know anyone who can do it better than I can” (“John F. Kennedy” BrainyQuote.com). Kennedy was a young and fresh political figure at the time of his election in 1960. The thirty-fifth president of the United States was born May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the youngest president ever, as well as the first and only Roman Catholic president (Bass, et al.). His presidency was shortened by an assassin on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Kennedy preceded his presidency with a term in the U.S. House of Representatives (1947-1953) and a term in the U.S. Senate (1953-1961) (“John F. Kennedy” History.com). Kennedy, a

The main point of the Thomas Frank’s interview with Bill Moyers is that there is an ideological force, Conservatives, who work on destroying and deregulating the federal government for the sake of profits. Thomas Frank supported his main point by providing many examples that show how conservative ideology purposely undermines the government.

"America's bounty -- the abundance of the fields, the beauty of the landscape, the richness of our opportunities -- has always attracted people who are in search of a better life for themselves and their children. Our democracy owes its success in great part to the countless immigrants who have made their way to our shores and to the tremendous diversity this Nation has been blessed with since its beginnings. In March, when communities all across the country celebrate St. Patrick's Day, our nation honors the rich heritage of the millions of Americans who trace their lineage to Ireland." (Clinton 2003) This was, in part, a proclamation given by our former President William J. Clinton, on February 23, 1995.