AMERICAN DREAM: PRESIDENTS AFTER FDR 1945-72

How was Harry Truman elected, both first and second term?

-he did not win a first term as he instead took over after FDR's death in 1945

-He was re-elected in 1948 with 'the buck stops here' catchphrase and does a whistle stop tour of all 50 states

-He does not run in 1952 as his approval rating is at 22%

What did Truman have to tackle?

-an increase in superpower tensions and the cold war

-end to WW2 and the atomic bomb (Manhattan project which FDR began)

-increase in unemployment after the war

-communism

what were the positives and negatives of the atomic bomb?

-it would end the war and intimidate soviet union

-it would mean less loss of American lives

-it would completely destroy the lives of many innocent Japanese

What was the Truman Doctrine?

-1947

-Truman promised to give aid to any country who was under threat of communism

-he sent $400 million to Greece and Turkey

-a policy of combatting communism

what was Truman's Marshall Plan?

-1948

-sent 13.3 billion to countries under threat of communsim

-Stalin calls it 'Dollar Imperialism'

What was Trumans 'Fair Deal' ?

-an expansion of the 1933 New Deal but with a better economy to begin with

-national health insurance

-public housing

-anti-lynching laws

-increase minimum wage

outline the cause of the second red scare and McCarthyism

-in the Korean War (1950-53), America were unable to stop the spread of communism. So unable that Douglas Macarthur suggested dropping 20 atomic bombs to finish war.

-America looked weak and the threat of communism was popularised by the investment into the war

-Soviet spies in the government - some even found out the Manhattan project

-McCarthyism essentially fear mongering, claiming he had names of 205 communists in the government

why was Dwight Eisenhower elected (both times) and what America did he inherit?

-Eisenhower was elected in 1953 as he was a war hero, conservatism was welcomed as there was a good economy, democratic campaign was very weak. ("we like ike" campaign)

-Eisenhower was elected in 1956 (first TV election) with 57% of popular vote, he had ended the Korean War, and there was a good economy, survived a heart attack in 1955. ("ike for 4 more years")

-He truly inherited the golden years of America

What did Eisenhower do in terms of domestic policy?

-extend the new deal

-creates a department for health, education and welfare

-personal wealth in America is up 45%

-end to red scare

-1956 interstate highway program - 41,000 miles of road created (supplied many jobs)

-Brown vs Board of education , Little Rock 9

What did Eisenhower do in terms of Foreign policy?

-reserved military as he believed it should only be used as a last resort

-"the new look" - stockpile nuclear weapons as a deterrent

-increase Vietnam commitment but only in terms of training (No men)

-Geneva Conference of 1955 and easing of Cold War tensions

-1960 U2 Crisis - an American pilot shot down over Russia and accused of being a US spy to which Eisenhower does not apologise

Why was Eisenhower so popular?

-the Golden years of economy

-increased minimum wage and lowered unemployment (1956 Interstate Highway Programme)

What was the importance of JFK and the 1960 election?

-by now, 90% of household have a TV and around 70 million people watch the debate

-JFK reveals how style and personality now play a huge role in being president (perhaps stemming from FDR)

-JFK is also a sign of liberalism and change

-he only last 1,036 days until assassination

Outline the importance of style in the 1960 presidential debate

-Nixon (JFK's opponent) won over radio listeners but JFK won over TV viewers

-JFk spoke to producers before hand to make himself look good and Nixon to look washed out.

-Nixon was slouched due to a knee injury and had a flu so looked weak and jittery

What was JFK's domestic policy?

-there was a slight economic downturn, but he listens to advisors and manages to have in under control within the year

-New Frontier - creates social programmes with a particular focus on the elderly and civil rights, federal aid to education and medical care for the elderly

-New frontier met with congress resistance

-He faced resistance against his will to strengthen CRM

What was JFK's foreign policy?

-Policy of containment

-April 1961 Bay of Pigs - Cuba looks to be turning to communism and Castro is exiling any opposition in Cuba. The opposition try to launch counter revolution with American help, huge fail and embarrassment for JFK

-1962 Cuban Missile Crisis - the USSR had missiles in Cuba, USA had them in Turkey. USA asks USSR to remove them and they both end up removing them, and USA give some medical supplies to USSR. A hotline is then created between the two superpowers. (creates a period of detente)

-'Ich bin ein berliner' , i am a Berliner

why was President LBJ given the presidency in 1963 and then earned it again in 1964?

-he inherited JFK's presidency after the assassination.

-LBJ had wanted to be president but JFK had beaten him in the presidential primaries

-he inherits JFK's team

-1964 election- LBJ was already popular for being a figure of continuity and respectfully handling Kennedys presidency

-'if I were 21 I would vote for Johnson' badges were sold

What happened in LBJ's Great Society?

-1964

-over 1000 pieces of legislation

-Urban renewal; modern transportation; welfare and food stamps; clean environment; anti-poverty; emphasis on education; crime control; relations with congress

-wages become better, income goes up 50%

-under this, life for black Americans gets better

What were some of LBJ's domestic action?

-LBJ's Great Society

-Civil Rights Act 1964 - desegregation and equal opportunity

-Voting Rights Act 1965 - makes voting accessible

-he was highly persuasive ('the Johnson effect')

what were the problems with LBJ's foreign actions?

-he lacked enthusiasm for foreign policy, he shone in domestic policy

-he undermined the quagmire that was Vietnam; billion was spent, 500,000 men, 30,000 deaths, he would also look weak if he backed out

-Vietnam lost him the majority of his popularity and forces him not to run again ('hey, hey LBJ how many kids did you kill today?')

-due to Vietnam, his approval rating in 1967 drops below 40% (70% in 1965)

how did Nixon win both the 1968 and 1972 elections?

-in 1968, he campaigned on crime after a huge rise in crime from new left and new right protesters

-he was Eisenhowers VP for 8 years

-he was keen to exit Vietnam and build Chinese relations

-resigned in 1974 due to Watergate scandal

What was Nixons domestic policy?

-Republican

-extends civil rights act

-extends voting rights act

-passes the environmental protection act to win over the new left

-Workfare Programme - extension of social security

-Occupational Health and Safety Act 1970

-Philadelphia plan - employment for minorities and women

-lowers the voting age in 1971 to 18

What was President Nixons foreign policy like?

-learnt from Johnson's mistakes and de-escalates Vietnam

-'peace with honour' as he cannot rapidly exit

-initially ramps up the bombings in Vietnam to show that the bombings are not weakness

-he gives training supplies and fades out US commitment (Vietnamisation)

-He tours china in 1972 (ping-pong diplomacy)

-SALT 1 (strategic arms limitation treaty) - detente period in the Cold War

Explain the Watergate scandal and its effects

-Nixon tasked a secret organisation, CREEP (committee for the re-election of the president), to break into the Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate complex in 1972 (before the election) to tap phone lines and steal documentation

-CREEP caught in the act and Nixon denied any involvement

-He resigns August 9 1974

-The actions of Nixon place a new level of scrutiny on the president as it shows the corrupt nature and mad bit extremely hard for Ford

Why was Gerald Ford put in power in 1974?

-Republican

-after the career ending Watergate scandal, Gerald Ford was put in power under the 25th amendment

-president for 879 days only - shortest ever tenure for a president without dying

-he loses the 1976 election

what was Fords Domestic Policy?

-tax cuts to help the economy

-economy in big crisis, largest unemployment since the Great Depression (above 7%), so his priority is to solve economic issues

-deals with 1st Oil Crisis (1973) - damages economy further

-stagflation occurs in his economy

-Offers Nixon a presidential pardon which is a huge reason of the discontent he faces

what was Fords Foreign Policy?

-big promoter of detente

-South of Vietnam falls to communism so anger in the public

-attempts to extend SALT (strategic arms limitation treaty) but fails

-he faces his biggest blunder in 1976 debate when he says there is 'no soviet domination in Eastern Europe' when almost all of it is. This makes him look silly and out of touch. (he is portrayed in the media as a dumb jock)

Why was Jimmy Carter elected in 1977?

-won a fairly close election

-4/5 African Americans vote for carter

-had no role in the Whitehouse which worked in his favour due to the distrust from Watergate (did have some experience as governor of Georgia)

-he wanted to pardon Vietnam draft evaders

-loses 1980 election

what was Jimmy Carters domestic policy?

-fails to solve the economic crisis that plagues the 70's and 80's

-deals with Oil Crisis in 1979

-fails to tackle inflation

-progresses racial positivity - African American employment go from 3% to 40%

-does too little too late for the economy which ultimately damages his reputation

What was Jimmy carters Foreign Policy?

-manages to pass SALT 2 (strategic arms limitation treaty)

-affected by Vietnam syndrome - complete military isolation unless public want it

-failure to stop USSR invasion of Afghanistan in 1979

-fails to handle the Iran Hostage crisis which results in 8 US deaths in emergency rescue after the Iranians take 52 men hostage (hostage crisis lasts 444 days)

-only president since WW2 to not commit any troops

The USA involvement in the Vietnam War

-Truman sent $150 million in aid

-Eisenhower sent advisory troops to train the south Vietnamese

-JFK sent 16,000 military personnel

-LBJ sent 500,000 men

-Nxison struggles to end the war

-Ford ended the war

-The war used billions of pointless spending and caused inflation

-it was a 'dirty war' with many lives lost

-it put the presidency under a microscope

-lack of trust in presidency

Why were the public so disillusioned with the Vietnam war

-the My Lei massacre, in which American troops invaded a village where they believed enemy soldiers were hiding but raped civilians, killed civilians and burned houses.

What were the challenges of the presidency at the beginning of the 80's?

-due to Nixon's Watergate and Vietnam failures there was complete mistrust in the presidency

-due to Carters Iranian Hostage Crisis mishap (8 US deaths and 444 days of hostage) president was seen as weak

-deteriorating economy with gas, oil and energy crises

-deteriorating economy with gas, oil and energy crises