A selection from President Kennedy's public statements from his election through the 1961 adjournment of Congress.

Overture. The years ahead ; Inaugural Address -- Peril and opportunity. The State of the Union -- Early crises. The Congo ; Laos ; Cuba ; Nature of the conflict -- Defense. Basic defense policies ; The means of self-defense -- Space -- The economy. Economic recovery ; Business and government ; Housing and community development ; Unfinished tasks -- The conduct of government. Basic fiscal policies ; Taxation ; Conflicts of interest -- The land and its wealth. Agriculture ; Natural resources -- Concern for the individual. Education ; Civil rights ; Health -- Strengthening the free world. Foreign aid ; Peace Corps -- Alliance for progress. Inter-American relations ; Act of Bogotá -- The deepening crisis. Meetings with De Gaulle and Khrushchev ; The Berlin Crisis -- To keep the peace. Nuclear testing ; United Nations Address.