The first section of Profiles in Courage attempts to illustrate how the idea of "political courage" is put into action. Contrary to our normal idea of courage, Kennedy describes the idea of political courage as based on compromise, and balancing the pressures of one's constituents, one's party, and the interest of the nation. The US Senate is an exclusive body whose members must learn to work with one another while advancing their own individual goals and principles; this has the potential to create an environment ripe for deal-making and favors. 

Kennedy argues that for political representatives, political courage is not merely finding a workable compromise between individual and group interests but merging one's own principles with the interests of the nation. Kennedy chooses President John Quincy Adams to illustrate this ideal. While a Massachusetts senator, Adams is caught in a struggle between his political party, the Federalists, and their opponents, the Republicans. English aggression on the high seas pits Adams against his constituents in Massachusetts. After being ostracized and threatened by his Federalist colleagues, Adams supports a trade embargo against England. As a result of this trade embargo, his political enemies work to place his career in jeopardy.