Chapter 1- A Midwestern Boyhood

1. How did Reagans family experiences embody American cultural

conflicts during the 1920s?
2. What role did his fathers alcoholism play in his childhood?
3. What role did religion play in Reagans upbringing?
4. What does Reagans experiences as a lifeguard tell us about his
character?
Chapter 3- The Making of a Hollywood Star
1. How was the movie industry organized in the 1930s? What was
the role of the Production Code Administration?
2. What were Ronald Reagans strengths and weaknesses as an
actor?
3. What were Regans political inclinations during these years?
4. How did WWII affect Reagans film career?
5. In which capacities did Reagan serve his country during WWII?
Chapter 6- Entering Politics
1. What is the significance of Reagans speech on behalf of Barry
Goldwater during the 1964 campaign?
2. Identify the key tenets of conservative ideology as it emerged in
the 1960s.
3. What were the key events in California and the nation between
the 1964 presidential election and the 1966 gubernatorial
campaign?
4. How did the issues of race relations and student protest manifest
themselves in the 1966 campaign?
5. What were Reagans strengths and weaknesses as a campaigner?
6. How did the Reagan campaign signal a transformation of the
political landscape?
Chapter 8- Stay the Course: The Reagan Presidency 1981-1982
1. What are the paradoxes of Reagans leadership style and
administration?

2. How did Reagan and his advisors see the Soviet Union and its role
in the world? What actions did they take as a reflection of this
viewpoint?
3. Was the Reagan military buildup justified?
4. What was Reagonimics? What were the assumptions behind
Reagans economic policies?
5. How did the attempt of his life influence the Reagan presidency?
6. How did the Reagan Administration approach the subject of arms
control?
7. From the vantage point of 1982, did the Reagan presidency seem a
success or a failure?
Chapter 10- The Reagan Doctrine: The Reagan Presidency: 1985-1986
1. What was the Reagan Doctrine?
2. How did the rise of Gorbachev in the Soviet Union change U.S.Soviet relations? How did the Reagan Administration view
Gorbachev?
3. What were the primary motivations for Reagans policies in the
Middle East? How successfully did his administration respond to
terrorism?
4. What were the accomplishments and results of the Geneva
Summit?
5. What actually happened at the summit in Reykjavik? Was it a
success or a failure for Reagan?
Chapter 12- Legacy
1. Did Reagans policies hasten the collapse of the Soviet Union and
bring an end to the Cold War?
2. What were the results of Reagans policies in Afghanistan, Eastern
Europe, and Central America?
3. What were the successes and shortcomings of Reagonimics?
4. In which ways did Reagan advance the conservative agenda?
5. How did the Reagan Administration reshape the federal courts?
6. What are the similarities between the Reagan presidency and that
of George W. Bush?
7. Was Ronald Reagan one of the great American presidents?