Before Viewing American Presidents
Part 1
Ask students:
To what groups do you belong? Consider family, personal interest, and school affiliations. In what ways do you draw strength, knowledge and skills from being a part of these groups? How do the groups benefit from your participation? In what ways may having many group affiliations be a benefit to a rising politician?
Identify some of the groups that are powerful in the American political
arena today. Identify at least one example from the following list.
In which ways are each of the groups powerful? How do they wield their power?
Family
Political group
Religion
Occupation
Region
Ideology
Part 2
Prepare students to view
C-SPAN's American Presidents: Life Portrait
featuring John F. Kennedy and study the ways President Kennedy's group
affiliations affected his life.
While Viewing American Presidents
Directions: Take notes on the ways each of the groups John F. Kennedy was affiliated with lent him strength at various times in his life. Consider also, what he contributed to the image, power or position of the group within the larger society.
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What John F. Kennedy
drew from the group?
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What John F. Kennedy
contributed to the group
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1. Family
2. Harvard
3. The navy
4. Democratic party
5. The U.S. House
6. The U.S. Senate
7. Marriage
8. The presidency (group: United States)
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After Viewing American Presidents
Identify two to three major successes as well as two to
three failures of John F. Kennedy's life.
What were the causes of each? How much of his success or failure came
from his own personal strengths or weaknesses?
How much of it drew from his associations with various groups?
Review the current (or a recent) presidential race. Which candidates are succeeding? How are their group associations contributing to their success? Which candidates are less successful? Is it possible for a candidate without strong groups associations to run a successful campaign?
