Short answer: primary source
Reagan's first inaugural address
- Units 8 and 9
- 3 points
- About 13 minutes
You read a source written at the time and answer three short parts about its ideas, its historical situation and the developments around it. On the exam: Short-answer question 2 of 3, required; the three short-answer questions share a 40-minute section worth 20% of the score.
The question and its sources
Read the source, then answer parts a, b and c. Write a few sentences for each part; you don't need a thesis.
Source
“These United States are confronted with an economic affliction of great proportions. We suffer from the longest and one of the worst sustained inflations in our national history. . . .
“In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. . . .
“It is my intention to curb the size and influence of the Federal establishment and to demand recognition of the distinction between the powers granted to the Federal Government and those reserved to the States or to the people. . . .
“Now, so there will be no misunderstanding, it's not my intention to do away with government. It is rather to make it work—work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on our back.”
Source: President Ronald Reagan, First Inaugural Address, January 20, 1981
Suggested time: 13 minutes
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Part (a)
1 pointBriefly describe ONE historical situation in the 1970s that helped shape the ideas Reagan expresses in the excerpt.
0 / 2,500 characters
Part (b)
1 pointBriefly explain ONE specific way the policies of the Reagan administration in the 1980s reflected the ideas expressed in the excerpt.
0 / 2,500 characters
Part (c)
1 pointBriefly explain ONE way that developments in the 1980s complicated or limited Reagan's goal of reducing the size of the federal government.
0 / 2,500 characters
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