Democracy in Crisis: John F. Kennedy’s Political Thought
Abstract
A remarkable political figure, John F. Kennedy contributed also to political theory focusing on community, sacrifice, and effective national leadership. Coming of age in the build-up to World War II, Kennedy’s early views were framed by the inability of Western democracies to meet totalitarian challenges. As his political career developed, JFK maintained a stance favorable to strong national leadership as a way of overcoming the individualism and self-centered aspects of modern life. A keen believer in service, community, and sacrifice, his famous “Ask not” moment of his 1961 Inaugural Address was informed by a concern with renewing American democracy. With a weakening of the social contract and increased political dysfunctionality in the twenty-first century, the political thought of the thirty-fifth president still speaks to us with its emphasis on courage, leadership, civil society, and the quest for national unity.
Recommended Citation
Meagher, M. E. (2018). Democracy in Crisis: John F. Kennedy’s Political Thought. Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 30(1*2), pp. 48-62. Philosophy Documentation Center.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.5840/jis2018301/24
Department(s)
History and Political Science
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 Philosophy Documentation Center, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
2018
