the extent of kennedy domestic achieivements

Limited legislative success:

• Narrow election win + weak congressional support

• Conservative coalition blocked key reforms: education, healthcare, civil rights, tax cuts

Executive action:

• Used Presidential Executive Orders for Peace Corps, equal employment, food aid

Unfinished agenda

• Many proposals (e.g. Civil Rights Bill) passed later under LBJ

Successes:

• Peace Corps, space programme, trade reform, aid to depressed area

Criticism:

• Cold War focus overshadowed domestic welfare

• “Put peace and war above health and welfare

AO2:

• Kennedy’s New Frontier = visionary but obstructed

• Legacy = agenda-setting, not law-making; LBJ capitalised on JFK’s groundwork

did jfk new fronteir pogramme acheieve its aim

• Context:

  • Narrow election win (113,000 votes out of 68m) → weak mandate

  • Faced conservative coalition in Congress (Republicans + Southern Democrats) → blocked major reforms

• Failures:

  • No major domestic reform passed during presidency

  • Key proposals (education, healthcare, civil rights, tax cuts) stalled or watered down

• Successes:

  • Peace Corps and space programme launched via executive orders

  • Trade reform and aid to depressed areas helped stimulate economy

• Legacy:

  • JFK’s assassination cut short reform agenda

  • LBJ implemented many of JFK’s blocked proposals (e.g. Civil Rights Act, Medicare)

• AO2:

• Kennedy’s New Frontier = visionary but obstructed

• Cold War focus drew criticism → prioritised global prestige over domestic welfare

• Set legislative agenda for future reform, even if not achieved during his term