Read the excerpts from "opening statements from John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon First Televised Debate." Kennedy: I think we can do better. I don't want the talents of any American to go to waste. I know that there are those who want to turn everything over to the government. I don't at all. I want the individuals to meet their responsibilities. And I want the states to meet their responsibilities. But I think there is also a national responsibility. The argument has been used against every piece of social legislation in the last twenty-five years.

Nixon: I will concede that in all the areas to which I have referred Senator Kennedy would have the federal government spend more than I would have it spend. I costed out the cost of the Democratic platform. It runs a minimum of thirteen and two-tenths billions dollars a year more than we are presently spending to a maximum of eighteen billion dollars a year more than we're presently spending.

On what point do Kennedy and Nixon disagree?

Kennedy believes only money will fix the nation's problems; Nixon thinks only hard work will do so.

Kennedy thinks state and local governments should solve the nation's problems, while Nixon thinks only the federal government can do so.

Kennedy wants the federal government to spend more and take a more active role in solving problems than Nixon does.

Kennedy does not want to turn all of the nation's problems over to the government, while Nixon does.

Assessment navigation

An employee of the state government always received his state paycheck on the last workday of the month. the employee was not a good money manager, and just barely managed to make it from paycheck to paycheck each month. on the second to the last workday of the month, the employee had $45 in his checking account, and, needing to buy a birthday gift for his sister, he wrote a check to a gift boutique for $100. he knew that he would be receiving his paycheck the next day, so he could deposit the paycheck before the check would be sent to the bank.however, unbeknownst to the employee, the state legislature was having a budget impasse. because the state constitution prohibited any deficit spending, state employees were not paid as usual. without a paycheck to deposit, the check written to the gift boutique was returned for insufficient funds. the merchant complained to the police, who arrested the employee and charged him under a statute that prohibited "issuing a check knowing that it is drawn against insufficient funds, with intent to defraud the payee of the check."what should be the outcome of the employee's prosecution? a not guilty, because the employee intended to deposit his paycheck the next day.b not guilty, because it was reasonable for the employee to expect that he would receive his paycheck as usual.c guilty, because the employee knew when he wrote the check that he did not have sufficient funds in his account to honor it.d guilty, because reliance on a future source of income does not vitiate the employee's violation of the statute when he wrote the check.