Writing Homework Help

Discussion Questions

NOTE: You don’t have to answer all of the discussion questions listed. You should choose one that you’d like to answer and respond to that prompt.

1. How do modern presidents (ie: Reagan, Obama, Trump) make use of Winthrop’s “City upon a hill” concept? What changes or adaptations do they make to the idea? What do they keep? How are they similar or different from each other? Is this a dangerous idea to have in the modern world or a positive one?
2. Why do you think that Winthrop made a point to emphasize the importance of shared struggles in the creation of an ideal community? What exactly is he saying here? Is this concept something that you believe remains in American thinking today?
3. How might you compare this week’s three readings (besides the presence of American exceptionalism in all three)? What concepts or questions do they all grapple with? How are they different from one another? What story do they tell when you read them all at once?