Study Questions 

1. What were Barry Goldwater's critiques of the Democrats, Republicans, and the New Deal? Consider his view on states' rights, unions, and government regulations of agriculture. Looking at his journal entries, how does he view the West in comparison to other regions?

2. The Goldwater and Johnson ads illustrate some of the key issues of the 1964 presidential race. Who do these ads target? How do these issues fit into the ideologies of the urban and suburban West?

3. Reagan's "welfare queen" speech became a major part of his campaign rhetoric during his run for the Republican presidential nomination. Why might Reagan's policies regarding welfare (and unions, seen in previous classes) have appealed to voters in the West?

4. Consider the 2011 Summit Opening, Project New West, and the beginning of Senator Harry Reid's speech--how does this private research company depict the history of the West? What issues do these western politicians focus on and how do they use imagery of the West? Having taken this course, what are your thoughts on their depiction of the West and its history? Use these videos to open a discussion on the main ideas and take away lessons from this course. How would you summarize the history of the West in one to two paragraphs?