Honors Modern American Final Examination Essays
1) Examine American ideology from the late 1800’s to the present. Evaluate three
periods of American history that witnessed a pronounced shift from previously
accepted ideology. What caused these changes in thought and identify its
manifestations.
2) It has been asserted that the Watergate scandal and subsequent resignation of
Richard Nixon ended the “Imperial Presidency.” Examine the history of the
American Presidency and evaluate the reasons and consequences for the
expansion of Presidential power.
3) “The Presidency is not merely an administrative office. That is the least of it. It is more than an
engineering job, efficient or inefficient. It is pre-eminently a place of moral leadership. All our
great Presidents were leaders of thought at times when certain historic ideas in the life of the
nation had to be clarified” –Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Choose three American Presidents since McKinley that have demonstrated bold
leadership. Explain the problems or crisis they confronted and why their leadership
positively impacted the nation.