Like Money In The Bank

Oral History Interview

This week we did an additional reading on Watergate and we asked what type of person would hire former CIA operatives to break into the opposition candidate’s office.  We read about the dirty tricks employed by the Nixon campaign and asked questions about what type of dirty tricks are being used in the election of 2012.  This type of campaigning puts an added burden on the voter to do independent reading and research before deciding whom to vote for.  Do not rely on the ads that will be inundating our airways this fall!

We also did a reading about the Obama election.  This was a turning point in history and the new textbooks highlight the unique campaign that included a former first lady, Hillary Clinton, and our first African American candidate, Barack Obama.  Obama entered office at one of the most demanding times in history as our economy was on the brink of a meltdown.  Obama had to make numerous decisions under enormous pressure that would stall the economic collapse and put the country on the road to improved health.  This has been an uphill battle as the partisanship on Capitol Hill has caused initiative after initiative to fail.  In the current campaign, we are seeing two conflicting approaches to government just as we saw in Hoover versus FDR in 1932.  Should government stay out of the world of business and let capitalism work through the market, or does government step in and attempt to provide a safety net and spend money to put people back to work?  While individual families must tighten the belt during difficult economic times, many economists would argue that government must spend money to stimulate the economy.  So now you must decide as future voters, which approach do you think is more effective?

Oral History Interviews

This week I have been reading, hearing and watching your oral history projects.  Many of you took the time to produce impressive oral histories.  You did the research, so you asked good questions and you selected people who were knowledgeable about the events.  I was especially impressed with the ability of many of you to ask follow up questions as you acquired new information.  You may have had a list of pre-formulated questions, but you were able to react and adjust to new data.  Many of you also discovered that where people were living during an event can influence how they viewed it.  People who lived in Newport during the Kennedy Era feel a special bond with a man they saw as one of their own.

You should also be complimented on your heartfelt thank-you notes.  Writing a thank-you note tells the person you spoke with that you cared enough to take the time and effort to say thank you.  As you go out into the world of work, manners can be an important factor in how successful you are in working with others.

Study Guide

You have a three page study guide to help you prepare for the final exam.  I have given you a description of the test, including topics covered and the types of questions.  You have all of your work saved in your portfolio so you have samples of possible questions.  And finally you have the blog…it takes about 3 minutes to read each entry and you can use the links to inform yourself about topics on which you may need more information.

The study guide is like money in the bank…you can only get out of it what you put into it…take the time to complete the guide…think about how events flow, and you will be ready for the exam.  As always, I am available for extra assistance.  Just let me know what works for you.