History

Name of Student

Institutional Affiliation

SHORT ESSAY.

Origins of the Cold War.

The cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union began after the Second World War. Several reasons influenced the cold war. The production of a nuclear weapon by both nations influenced the cold war. The United States and the Soviet Union were wary of each other. The two nations were against the production of nuclear weapons so each country wanted the other to stop the production of nuclear weapons. The United States was against communism. Communism was a famous ideology in the Soviet Union and its emergence in the United States caused a lot of panics. The ideological differences between the United States and the Soviet Union triggered the cold war according to Gaddis (2000).

Response to Lesson Learned.

Both the United States and the Soviet Union finally decided to end the cold war. The two nations agreed to monitor and control their military power so that they cannot cause the third world war. The two nations never wanted to engage in a war since they well understood the ramifications of the war. The two nations finally respected the ideological differences between them and they had to let people choose what suited them the most. The united states and the soviet union reduced their military advancements as they thought this will reduce the chances of another world war.

Geopolitical Flashpoints.

Truman’s major geopolitical flashpoints that steered his decision making between 1945 and 1960 include; the need for the national security act, the Truman doctrine that was important during his tenure, the establishment of NATO who were his important allies, and the expansive military with substantive nuclear weaponry. Eisenhower’s tenure was marked by open discussions on internal and external deals, retaliation, and the expansion of the military.

LONG ESSAY.

The concentration of Power.

Since the inception of the United States government, different ideas have shaped the concentration of power. The federal government’s power and those of the state governments has been reviewed over time. This has prompted the government to introduce several acts that check the powers of the two levels of the government. Amendments such as the 5th and the 14th amendments have evolved from the ideas of what has happened previously in the United States.

Trusting the Federal Forces.

The federal government got involved with the civil rights activists and it would consult on what they wanted. President Johnson was keen on finding legislative solutions through congress that will redress the injustice and discrimination that was rampant then. The legislative solution invoked the roles of the federal government to protect the civil and political rights of people and the promotion of economic and social justice. The government showed goodwill to the civil rights activists therefore; the civil rights activists entrusted the freedom to the federal forces. The government’s willingness to listen to the civil rights activists also led them to trust it with the freedom they were championing.

Reagan’s Tenure.

The conservative activists sought to be politically active so that they would voice their concerns and champion for the rights. They used several tactics to voice the issues that they thought were important. They used televangelism television shows to raise their issue. They as well employed tactics such as mailing campaigns, organized rallies, and telephone hotlines to mobilize and raise the important topics. Their tactics were more conservative but they successfully articulated their issues.

Changes through the Cold war to Contemporary Times.

During the early cold war, the United States was strict to maintain pure its ideologies and keep away the communist ideology. Those who sympathized with the communist ideology were executed and lost their jobs. During President Lyndon B. Johnson’s tenure, he introduced the great society whereby one of the main aims was to abolish the inequality. The civil rights at this moment had to wage their campaigns and the introduction of the act was a great boost to them. They had the support of the government thus their mission was almost accomplished. The period of the Vietnam War saw a divide united states. The civil rights activists were against the United States soldiers helping in the Vietnam War due to the number of the causalities. However, some supported the inclusion of the United States army. The Watergate scandal happened during President Nixon’s tenure in office. Nixon had conspired with the top government officials to ensure his re-election. This scandal led to the resignation of President Nixon who otherwise would have been impeached. 48 people were sentenced after found guilty out of the sixty-nine that was under investigation. This scandal got the attention of the public and it seemed they distrusted the government.

Reagan is reign was one of the warmly felt modern presidencies. By the time he left office, his presidency was approved to 68% one of the highest. He reduced government spending and taxes but he increased military spending. Generally, his ideas were accepted except for a few like the Iraq war that received criticism. During the neoliberalism period, most people stood for their rights and they fought against the injustices that were melted upon the minor races in the United States. To today, the rights to articulate the person’s mind have been enhanced in the United States through the struggle still is on according to Gaddis (1987).

The usefulness of the Federal Government.

The federal government has proved many times to protect the rights and freedoms of the people. The amendments and several acts that have been enacted over time have proven the government’s commitment. The government has also supported a strong judiciary that has ensured the rule of law is maintained according to Dudziak (2011). For instance, the 14th amendment was an addition of rights that individuals can enjoy. The government has also acted in a manner that it has threatened public trust. For instance, President Nixon’s scandal almost made the public lose its trust in the government.

American governance.

The bad examples always influence and shape public opinions. They are also the major influencers to the constitutional change. For instance, the need to have better articulate rights and freedoms was due to the injustices in a section of people. the injustices informed the constitutional changes. The political power has influenced the American identity and culture. The two parties; the Democrats and the Republicans are parties that have developed on identity and cultural ideologies. The Democrats are mostly people of color and the Republican majorly the white from the north.

References

Dudziak, M. L. (2011). Cold war civil rights: Race and the image of American democracy (Vol. 73). Princeton University Press.

Gaddis, J. L. (1987). The long peace: Inquiries into the history of the cold war. Oxford University Press on Demand.

Gaddis, J. L. (2000). The United States and the origins of the Cold War, 1941-1947. Columbia University Press.