The New Deal Coalition and American Politics

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the rise, components, key figures, and eventual fragmentation of the New Deal Coalition from 1932 through the 1960s.

New Deal Coalition

An alignment of people and interest groups that supported the New Deal and its resulting ideas from the 1930s into the 1940s and beyond.

Brain trust

The specific group that figured out the New Deal, which is distinct from the broader New Deal Coalition.

1932

The year FDR was first elected and the period generally cited as the start of the New Deal Coalition.

1945

The year FDR passed away after being elected four times, leading to Harry Truman taking over the baton of the New Deal Coalition.

Harry Truman

The president who replaced FDR in 1945 and continued the New Deal Coalition through the start of the Cold War.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The only Republican president elected between 1932 and 1960; he was a World War two hero and general who maintained some New Deal ideas.

The interstate highway system

A national transportation project started by Dwight D. Eisenhower, illustrating his continuation of New Deal-style government programs.

FDR's Cabinet

The president's advisors which included the first woman as part of FDR's efforts to break down social and professional barriers.

Eleanor

The wife of FDR who, along with the president, took noticeable actions to break down social barriers during the New Deal era.

1932 to 1960

A twenty eight year block of time where the Democratic Party held the presidency with only one Republican exception.

John f Kennedy

A Democrat elected in 1960 and assassinated in 1963, whose presidency marked the beginning of a shift in the New Deal Coalition.

Lyndon Johnson

The Democratic president who replaced Kennedy in 1963, won the sixty four election, and served until 1968.

Civil rights

A movement in the 1960s that caused African Americans to question the Democratic Party's lack of progress, contributing to the coalition's fragmentation.

Vietnam

A conflict starting in the 1960s that cut the nation apart politically and divided people across nationalities and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Women's rights movement

A movement beginning in the 1960s for equal pay that added to the fragmentation of the New Deal Coalition.

Urban riots

Events in the 1960s occurring because urban centers were run down due to the growth of the suburbs, leading to the breakup of the coalition.