Order Instructions
 
Read Carter’s speech (below), and feel free to look online for evaluations of the address at the time and since. Write a 3 page paper that focuses on the following questions:
 
Why do you think President Carter chose to deviate from a speech about energy to talk about these broader philosophical questions? Do you think there might have been a strategy behind framing the speech in this way?
What does President Carter identify as “a fundamental threat to American democracy”? Briefly cite specific lines in the speech to illustrate your point.
What evidence does he provide to substantiate his argument?
What contemporary trends reflect the concerns Carter raised 44 years ago?
What concepts in the speech might Americans have found inspirational? Alternatively, why would some have bene critical of the central message of this address?
How does reading Carter’s speech affect your perception of his record as a president?
How would such an address by a U.S. president be received today?