Discussion Questions
- What is the biggest takeaway you have from the Iran-Contra Affair?
- What do you believe is the more incriminating aspect of the affair, the Iranian arms sales or the profit transfers to the Contras?
- Do you believe the argument that Reagan was not aware of the Iran-Contra scheme, especially when considering the prevalence of the unitary executive theory among his legal advisors?
- Was Congress right to stop the Reagan Administration from aiding the Contras?
- Should administration officials have been held more accountable for the affair or was it right for President Bush to issue a pardon and help the country move on?
- Do Presidential pardons undermine accountability or are they a necessary tool of executive power?
- Should the President be held accountable for the actions of their subordinates, even if the President claims to have had no knowledge of their actions?
- Do you believe the Iran-Contra affair caused permanent damage to American’s public opinion and trust in their government?
- Do citizens deserve to know about covert operations the U.S. undergoes?
- Do you believe the affair would have turned out differently if it had unraveled in Reagan’s first term when he had to run for reelection?
Digital Resources
Brown University. “Nicaragua and Iran Timeline.” Understanding the Iran-Contra Affairs. Accessed May 11, 2026. https://webhelper.brown.edu/cheit/Understanding_the_Iran_Contra_Affair/timeline-n-i.php.
This document is a detailed timeline of the events of Iran-Contra, it goes into further detail on the many events that led to the scandal prior to its exposure.
U.S. Congress. “Excerpts of the Report of Congressional Committees Investigating the Iran-Contra Affair.” November 18, 1987. In The American Presidency Project, edited by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley. University of California, Santa Barbara. Accessed May 11, 2026. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/excerpts-the-report-congressional-committees-investigating-the-iran-contra-affair.
This document pulls out the main findings of the 1987 Iran-Contra investigations (majority report).
“The Iran-Contra Affair.” American Experience. PBS/WGBH Educational Foundation. Accessed May 11, 2026. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/reagan-iran/.
This webpage includes a brief summary of the scandal, it is a good primer for anyone who wants to learn about Iran-Contra that does not have any prior familiarity with the scandal.
HISTORY. “What Was the Iran-Contra Affair?” YouTube video, uploaded March 28, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccZkcFEyUyc.
This video by the History Channel on Youtube is another introductory-level examination of the affair but in video format.
McPherson, Alan. “How the Iran-Contra Scandal Impacts American Politics Today.” Time Magazine. May 14, 2025. https://time.com/7280749/iran-contra-scandal-impacts-american-politics/
This article was published by the same author as one of my secondary sources, it frames the scandal with an examination of the Trump Administration.