Task
You are a presidential advisor during the first three decades of the Cold War (1945-1973). Your task is to investigate a particular crisis or turning point in the corresponding presidential administration, choose, and argue for the best policy for the United States. As each issue is debated in our classroom, you’ll write up your own personal judgment of the best policy.
You’ll be assigned one of several presidential administrations:
A. Harry S Truman: Should we share atomic bomb technology?
B. Dwight D. Eisenhower: Power struggle in Iran
C. John F. Kennedy: The Cuban Missile Crisis
D. Lyndon B. Johnson: The Vietnam domino: shore it up or let it fall?
E. Richard M. Nixon: The Soviet Union: détente?
You’ll begin by researching the background of your issue using the provided resources. Then you’ll research and analyze the possible responses the president is considering. Which is the best solution?
Write up a position paper, and present it to the president and his full team of advisors. Naturally, other advisors will be presenting their own positions. You must be ready to argue for your views and against their positions. The entire class will vote for the best argument it heard. Then we’ll debrief on what actually happened.
Finally, you will write up your own conclusions about each of these presidential decisions of the Cold War period up to 1973. Which choices would you have made and why?
Process
| Step #1: | Briefing. Read (or reread) the appropriate section of our textbook for background on your assigned crisis or turning point. |
| Step #2: | Research. For each turning point, I’ve selected several web pages that provide a deeper understanding of the relevant issues to be considered. Note that some of these contain present day opinions, informed by a much-broader and more detailed knowledge of all the events then and since. In other words, no American leader at that time may have been privy to what you are about to learn. Another difference is that our sensibilities have changed since these events unfolded. Most importantly, the Cold War is over and America “won;” try not to let the historical error of "presentism" color your judgments. Find your assigned topic below. Using the links provided, further study the background of your assigned turning point, the relevant conflicts and issues surrounding it, and the possible solutions. Take notes on what arguments can be made for each choice. Remember that you’ll need to anticipate the arguments of your opponents. |
| Step #3: | Develop your “Talking Points.” Working with team members when appropriate, write up your arguments. Develop a specific response to the question, “What should the U.S. do at this juncture?” Be clear and concise. (Remember that your audience is your classmates who will not know everything that you know.) They will be asking you questions for clarification. Your colleagues will be making statements and asking questions that point up the problem(s) with your approach. Be prepared to respond in all cases. |
| Step #4: | Analyze and develop a critique of the alternatives. What problems are there with the other approaches? List the problems in a persuasive manner (but stick to the facts). For example, what unknowns make these other approaches less desirable, less feasible, and presumably less successful? Write these up. What other questions should be answered before possibly deciding on each alternative? Record these as well. Organize all of these questions and criticisms by issue. This form of organization will make it easy to expose the problems inherent in other options. |
| Step #5: | The Simulation. On the day of your turning point simulation, you’ll be part of a panel addressing the President of the United States. Depending on the turning point, your panel may be composed of Congressional leaders, Cabinet members, and/or other presidential advisors. The President and his other advisors may question or criticize your proposal. Be prepared to respond using your notes (but not directly reading from them). It’s also critical that you know and understand all of the options available to the United States at this moment in history. Have your notes ready (and those of your team where applicable). The President or his assistant will present the problem. Each of you will present your ideas and, in turn, question and criticize those of your colleagues. At the end of each simulation, the class will vote for the option that was most convincingly presented and defended. |
| Step #6: | Your decision. After each simulation you’ll write up a 2 page “Memo to the President” arguing your personal opinion as to which option you prefer and why. You may choose an option different from that which you argued for in class. |
| Step #7: | Follow up. You’ll turn in the following for scoring purposes.
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