The role of the historian is to analyze and interpret the facts of history. But one important fact of history is that there are always multiple sides to a single story. Historical actors often have differing perspectives on the issues they face in their own time. Students will explore one of the following historical debates, put that debate into historical context, and analyze the ways in which that debate has evolved into the modern day.  Step 1: Summarize the main points of each primary source related to your chosen topic. Include the basic factual information and describe the main issue being discussed along with the argument made by each source.  Step 2: Using the questions listed in the chosen topic description, explain the context in which these documents were written.  Step 3: Using the resources listed with your chosen topic, answer the questions listed in your topic description to identify how the issue in the documents relates to American life today.  Topics: Choose ONE of the following topics and associated documents to complete the project. Students should reference course materials such as the LibGuide, Intellipath, Learning Materials, or the Live Chats in their answers. Reaganomics: Click here  and here for the documents.  Questions: Summary (40 points): Summarize the substance of the Economic Recovery Tax Act as explained by Reagan. Then, summarize The New York Time’s estimation of the reality of the Economic Recovery Tax Act’s impact.  Context (40 Points): What problems with the American economy was Reagan trying to solve with the Act? How well did this reflect the economic reality of America in the 1980s? The Issue Today (30 Points):  Have the key points in the debate about the role of taxes in economic recovery changed since the 1980s? If so, how? If it hasn’t changed, why do you think that is? Be sure to use specific examples. Resources: Greenbert, S., J. Olson, & S. J. Entin. (2016). Modeling the economic Effects of Past Tax Bills. Retrieved from Tax Foundation: https://taxfoundation.org/modeling-economic-effects-past-tax-bills/ Sullivan, M. A. (2016). Economic Analysis: A GOP Tax Cut in 2017? Lessons from History. Retrieved from Tax Analysts: http://www.taxanalysts.org/content/economic-analysis-gop-tax-cut-2017-lessons-history Fisher, T. (2017). How past income tax rate cuts on the wealthy affected the economy. Retrieved from Politico: https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/gop-tax-rate-cut-wealthy/ Lewis, N. (2017, November 8.)  Did Ronald Reagan’s 1981 tax cut supercharge the economy? Retrieved from The Washington Post : https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/11/08/did-ronald-reagans-1981-tax-cut-supercharge-the-economy/?utm_term=.ae4242632007 The Gulf War: Click here  and here  for the documents. Questions: Summary (40 points): Summarize Bush’s positions on American involvement in Iraq. Summarize the position put forward by the protesters. Contex ...

1. The role of the historian is to analyze and interpret the facts of
history. But one important fact of history is that there are
always multiple sides to a single story. Historical actors often
have differing perspectives on the issues they face in their own
time. Students will explore one of the following historical
debates, put that debate into historical context, and analyze the
ways in which that debate has evolved into the modern day.
Step 1:
Summarize the main points of each primary source related to
your chosen topic. Include the basic factual information and
describe the main issue being discussed along with the argument
made by each source.
Step 2:
Using the questions listed in the chosen topic description,
explain the context in which these documents were written.
Step 3:
Using the resources listed with your chosen topic, answer the
questions listed in your topic description to identify how the
issue in the documents relates to American life today.
Topics:
Choose ONE of the following topics and associated documents
to complete the project. Students should reference course
materials such as the LibGuide, Intellipath, Learning Materials,
or the Live Chats in their answers.
Reaganomics:
Click

2. here
and
here
for the documents.
Questions:
Summary (40 points):
Summarize the substance of the Economic Recovery Tax Act as
explained by Reagan. Then, summarize The New York Time’s
estimation of the reality of the Economic Recovery Tax Act’s
impact.
Context (40 Points):
What problems with the American economy was Reagan trying
to solve with the Act? How well did this reflect the economic
reality of America in the 1980s?
The Issue Today (30 Points):
Have the key points in the debate about the role of taxes in
economic recovery changed since the 1980s? If so, how? If it
hasn’t changed, why do you think that is? Be sure to use
specific examples.
Resources:
Greenbert, S., J. Olson, & S. J. Entin. (2016). Modeling the
economic Effects of Past Tax Bills. Retrieved from Tax
Foundation:
https://taxfoundation.org/modeling-economic-effects-past-tax-
bills/
Sullivan, M. A. (2016). Economic Analysis: A GOP Tax Cut in
2017? Lessons from History. Retrieved from Tax Analysts:

3. http://www.taxanalysts.org/content/economic-analysis-gop-tax-
cut-2017-lessons-history
Fisher, T. (2017). How past income tax rate cuts on the wealthy
affected the economy. Retrieved from Politico:
https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/gop-tax-rate-cut-
wealthy/
Lewis, N. (2017, November 8.) Did Ronald Reagan’s 1981 tax
cut supercharge the economy? Retrieved from
The Washington Post
:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-
checker/wp/2017/11/08/did-ronald-reagans-1981-tax-cut-
supercharge-the-economy/?utm_term=.ae4242632007
The Gulf War:
Click
here
and
here
for the documents.
Questions:
Summary (40 points):
Summarize Bush’s positions on American involvement in Iraq.
Summarize the position put forward by the protesters.
Context (40 points):
What were America’s stated foreign policy objectives in the

4. early 1990s? How does the Gulf War fit into those foreign
policy objectives? What does that tell us about how Americans
understood the nation’s role in the world?
The Issue Today (30 points):
How do these foreign policy objects compare to American
foreign policy today? Would the Presidents of the 2000s have
made the same choice that the George H.W. Bush administration
made? Why or why not? Be sure to use specific examples.
Resources
Bush Foreign Policy. (2017). Retrieved from Department of
State: Office of the Historian:
https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/short-history/bushi
Foreign Policy. (2017). Retrieved from WhiteHouse.Gov:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy/
Nelson, M. (2017). Barack Obama: Foreign Affairs. Retrieved
from the Miller Center:
https://millercenter.org/president/obama/foreign-affairs
Horsely, S. (2016, September 20.) Patient Diplomacy and a
Reluctance to Act: Obama’s Mark on Foreign Policy. Retrieved
from National Public Radio:
https://www.npr.org/2016/09/20/494625983/patient-diplomacy-
and-a-reluctance-to-act-obamas-mark-on-foreign-policy
Riley, R. (2017). Bill Clinton: Foreign Affairs. Retrieved from
the Miller Center:
https://millercenter.org/president/clinton/foreign-affairs

5. The Rise of Conservatism:
Click
here
and
here
for the documents.
Questions:
Summary (40 points):
Summarize Buchanan’s main points about the state of
America. Summarize Clinton’s main points about the state of
America.
Context (40 points):
According to Buchanan and Clinton, what were the major
issues facing the nation? What does this tell us about
Americans' major concerns when casting their ballots in 1992?
The Issue Today (30 points):
Have these debates between liberals and conservatives changed
in the last quarter century? If so, how? If not, what is still the
same? Be sure to use specific examples.
Resources:
Political Ideology: Crash Course Government and Politics #35.
(2015). Retrieved from YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_k_k-bHigM
Douthat, R. (2010, December 6). The Changing Culture War.

6. Retrieved from
The New York Times
:
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/opinion/06douthat.html
Hunter, J. D. (2017, September 17). How America’s Culture
Wars have Evolved into a
Class War. Retrieved from
The Washington Post
:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/
09/12/how-americas-culture-wars-have-evolved-into-a-class-
war/?utm_term=.fb6cbdb40789
Crimmins, T. (2017). Reevaluting the Culture Wars. 1(4).
Retrieved from the
American Affairs Journal
:
https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2017/11/reevaluating-culture-
wars/
Fall of the Berlin Wall:
Click
here
and
here
for the documents.

7. Questions:
Summary (40 points):
Summarize the main points of Reagan’s speech. What were
Reagan’s reasons for calling for the fall of the Wall?
Summarize the main points of the news coverage. What were the
immediate reactions and consequences to the fall of the Wall?
Context (40 points):
Why do you think the Berlin Wall fell when it did? Was the fall
of the Berlin Wall a victory for democracy over communism?
What had been the consequences of the wall? What good things
did people think would come from the fall of the wall?
The Issue Today (30 points):
The fall of the Berlin Wall was the symbolic end to the Cold
War. What have American relations with Communist countries
been like since the turn of the 21st century? Is the Cold War
really over or has it changed? Be sure to use specific examples
to support your points.
Resources
Hart, G. (2011, December 12). Russia and the United States in
the 21st Century. Retrieved from
The Atlantic
:
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/12/russi
a-and-the-united-states-in-the-21st-century/249831/
U.S. Relations with China: 1949-2018. (2018). Retrieved from
the Council on Foreign Policy:
https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-relations-china

8. Bader, J., D. Dollar, & R. Hass. (2017) U.S.-China Relations, 6
months into the Trump Presidency. Retrieved from The
Brookings Institute:
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-
chaos/2017/08/14/u-s-china-relations-6-months-into-the-trump-
presidency/
Felter, C. & D. Renwick. (2018). U.S.-Cuba Relations.
Retrieved from the Council on Foreign Relations:
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-cuba-relations
All sources used to complete this project should be cited using
APA format, both in-text citations and references. Please use
the CTU Undergraduate Writing Style Guide for assistance on
APA formatting.
Use the template provided
here
to complete the assignment.
References
will vary based on topic.
For assistance with your assignment, student can reference their
course materials. See
sample
provided.