Kennedy and the New Frontier

1961-1963: Causes, impacts, results

What were the challenges facing the United States prior to the creation of the New Frontier, according to Kennedy’s the New Frontier Speech?

1. Having a concern for what the future of the United States looks like.

2. Adjusting to a world that is changing and letting the old era end.

3. The United States needing to understand that old ways should no longer hold high value and importance, as they needed change.

How did the U.S. need to address the challenges they were facing, according to Kennedy’s New Frontier Speech?

By being on the New Frontier, a new set of hope would be provided and a new ask of the American people would be brought up; this was a realization that the US had not yet won all the battles.

What was Kennedy’s focus when initiating the New Frontier?

Kennedy is focused on the goals he has for the country, and he says in 1961 that “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. Kennedy wants to work together and collaborate with the American people.

What were the key issues Kennedy wanted to focus on?

1. Aid Education

2. Federal Support of Healthcare

3. Urban Renewal

4. Civil Rights

What was Kennedy’s intent for giving aid to education? Why did this key issue not get passed?

Kennedy’s intent was to give money to parochial schools. However this would be funded through tuition from parents and religious institutions; therefore, this was a no to passing it from Republican Congress.

What was Kennedy’s intent for federal support of healthcare? Why did this key issue not get passed?

Kennedy’s intent for giving federal support of healthcare, such as Medicare and medical research for mental illness, was incredibly near and dear to his heart because of family recognition. Republican Congress did not allow for this to pass.

What was Kennedy’s intent for urban renewable? Why did this key issue not get passed?

Kennedy’s intent for urban renewal was providing money for mass transit, starting the Department of Urban Affairs, and starting the Housing Act of 1961 that would help Americans and housing that they can afford. Kennedy wanted to fix that cities were filled with poor minorities because of the suburbs in the 1950s. These intents were also not successful.

What was Kennedy’s intent for civil rights? Why did this key issue not get passed?

Kennedy’s intent for the Civil Rights issue was to work with Thurgood Marshall and Federal Circuit Court. He wanted this to make a legal difference on the side of the civil rights movement; the Republican congress did not find this enough to pass.

Although the Republican Congress did not allow all of these, aid education, federal support of healthcare, urban renewal, and civil rights, to be passed, how was Kennedy at fault for the failures of the New Frontier?

Kennedy called some of his aims ‘lofty’ goals and he did not have the majority of the American population on his side. The Republican Congress said no to funding education, healthcare, medical research for mental illness, and calls urban renewal a state issue, and civil rights is given to Kennedy to deal with on his own.

Why were all these issues able to happen under Johnson and not Kennedy?

Due to Kennedy’s death, Johnson is able to immobilize on that capital and emotion. In many ways, Kennedy is idolized or deionized because he was assassinated, so young, and dreamer for the country. Domestically, the New Frontier is not very successful.