Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge

Warren Harding's strengths

Overwhelming majority
Congress dominated by Republicans
Handsome, good humoured

What was the Sheppard-Towner Maternity Aid Act and who was it passed by?

Harding
Provided federal aid to states, encouraging them to build infant/maternity health centres

How was Harding successful at making cuts to spending?

Budget + Accounting Act
spending: £5 billion in 1920
£3.3 billion in 1922

What are some examples of able appointments Harding made?

Herbert Hoover- Secretary of Commerce
Charles Hughes- Secretary of State

How was Harding's belief of limited government involvement taken?

Reflected mood of public at the time

What was Harding's attendance like, what key debates did he miss?

Missed more sessions than he attended
Absent for debates on prohibition and women's suffrage

Under Harding, the Head of Veterans' Bureau had misappropriated how much?

$250 million

How was Coolidge seen?

Man of the people- especially small town America
Enjoyed being seen in public
Confident and calm
Not corrupted- did not smoke or drink

When was Coolidge elected?

1923

How did Coolidge support American business?

Low taxation
Low interest rates
Minimum government spending

What were Coolidge's failings

Low work rate, slept alot
'Silent Cal'
Did very little to address US problems
Determined to do less

Why did Democrats lose 1920 election to Harding?

Wilson made statement that anyone carrying a 'hyphen' was the 'enemy of the Republic'
Man with the hyphen was the Democrat party

Why did Democrats lose 1923 election to Coolidge?

John W. Davis known for being more conservative than Republicans
Democrat fight against immigrant whites from big cities against rural whites
Lost by second greatest popular margin ever

What was Harding's campaign slogan? Why was it effective?

'Return to normalcy'
Much of nation wanted pre-war society

What were Harding's main campaign promises?

Higher tariffs
Lower taxes on business + private income
Fewer immigrants
More farm aid
Rejection of L of N

What was the 'Croneyism' allegation against Harding?

That he was using his power to further the interests of his friends

What were Harding's friends, who he was accused of using his power to benefit, known as?

'The Ohio Gang'

What happened with Charles Forbes? What was Harding's alleged role?

1924, jailed for 2 years for misuse of $250 million from accounts of the Veterans' Bureau (which he ran)
Alleged that it had been done without Harding's knowledge

What was the Teapot Dome?

a Harding-era scandal named after an oil reserve in Wyoming
Associates of Harding, Fall and Sinclair, who embezzled and loaned hundreds of thousands of government bonds

What was Coolidge's slogan?

"The business of America is business"