Domestic Politics and the Cold War in the 1950s

Flashcards covering key terms and events related to domestic politics in the 1950s and the Cold War.

Eisenhower Administration

Reflected conservative values, aimed to reduce government size, balance the budget, cut spending, and ease business regulation.

New Look Army

Eisenhower's military strategy that reduced troop levels while increasing reliance on powerful weapons systems.

Termination Policy

Eisenhower's 1953 policy aimed at ending federal support for Native Americans and dismantling reservations.

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 Supreme Court case that ruled 'separate educational facilities are inherently unequal' and mandated school desegregation.

Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960

Legislation that strengthened voting rights protections and penalties for crimes against Black people.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

A protest initiated by Rosa Parks' arrest in 1955, leading to significant awareness and activism in the civil rights movement.

Brinksmanship

A foreign policy strategy during the Cold War characterized by the willingness to go to the brink of war to force the opponent to back down.

Domino Theory

The belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would also fall, prompting U.S. intervention in Southeast Asia.

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite launched by the USSR in 1957, marking a significant advance in the space race and increasing U.S. alarm.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over Soviet missiles deployed in Cuba, bringing the two superpowers close to nuclear war.