AMERICAN DREAM: CHANGING POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT 1917-45

what is the role of the legislative branch of the federal government

• congress: 2 senators per state

• make laws

• accept or reject judges

• declare war

• separate congress election to the presidential one

what is the role of the executive branch of the federal government

• president

• enforce and can veto laws

• appoint judges

• cabinet of specialized advisors

• command armed forces and police

what is the role of the judicial branch of the federal government

• supreme court and justice system

• interpret laws

• can state that acts by the president or congress are unconstitutional

• settle state disputes

• hear court appeals

what are the core principles of the democratic party

• unionisation: workers rights

• stricter gun laws

• open and transparent gov

• affordable and accessible education

• abortion rights and gay marriage

• abolish capital gov

• increases minimum wage and tax on the rich

• help immigrants

• affordable health care

• legal marijuana

• support renewable energy and climate control

what are the core principles of the republican party

• increased military spending and gun rights

• lower taxes

• abortion restrictions

• laissez faire

• increased individualism

-capitalism

• traditional family values: white christians

• free trade

what is the typical american dreams

• freedom, democracy and control

• equality to achieve regardless

• happiness and success

• meritocracy: work hard and be rewarded

what factors caused a change in the American dream

• technology and social media

• feminism

• great depression

• culture change

• civil rights

• cars

who had access to the American Dream before 1945

• everyone as they wanted immigrants to grow their country

• white christian males

• educated

what years did Woodrow Wilson serve from and was he a D or R

1913-21

• Democrat

why was Woodrow Wilson elected

• he sparked the change people wanted to see

• idealism, optimism

• he rallied forward thinkers together some saying he was way ahead of his time

• he wanted to keep the country out of war after war broke out in 1914: isolationism

why was Woodrow Wilson reelected in 1916

• 'he kept us out of the war'

• although when the Zimmerman telegram crisis of Feb 1917 he was convinced US national security had been directly threatened by Germany so he had no choice but to enter the war

what were some of Woodrow Wilsons domestic policies

• faith in progression

• acts in the interest of civilians

• income tax

• white women can vote

• revenue act to keep the economy stable

what were some of Woodrow Wilsons foreign policies

• isolationism

• moral diplomacy

• League of Nations idea but the US itself was not allowed to join as Congress and the public were opposed to it so it collapsed

• 14 points to end all wars

what was Woodrow Wilsons style and personality like

• ahead of his time, optimistic

• diligent

• confident and ambitious

• intelligent: predicts another war if the League of Nations did not gain enough support or man power

• made speeches but viewed as misleading and deceptive

why did the USA enter the war

1) 1915 Lusitania cargo ship sunk by germans killing 128

2) Feb 1917 Zimmerman telegram of germany trying to recruit mexico

3) 1917 russian revolution was a new communist threat

why did the public lose faith in Wilson after the war

• the economy collapsed

• he was reelected on the slogan he kept them out of war and went back on that

• became less involved after he suffered a stroke

what were the main causes of the first red scare

• USSR/Soviet Union was formed making the US paranoid about communism

• opposed capitalism and the american dream

• many american industrial workers were striking and they were wrongly branded as communist

who was Alexander Palmer and what did he do

'new radical division' to seek out dangerous individuals like communists

why did the red scare dissipate

the media calmed down as people kept on being falsely branded

when was Warren Harding president and was he D or R

1921-3

Republican

Why was Harding elected?

• there was backlash against the democrats following WW1 and the US people wanted a return to normalcy

• proposed a committee to study 'the race question' to talk about immigrants coming in with different ideologies

• unusually for a republican following the economic crash he put in place welfare departments for the poor and uneducated

• did not oppose the suffragettes

• he died at 57 of a heart attack

what were some of hardings domestic policies

• reduce tax and balance the deficit

• Volstead Act 1919 prohibited commercial manufacture, transportation and sale of alcohol: prohibition

• laissez faire with business

• provide nationwide radio to expand communication

• he sought 'no part in directing the destinies of the world'

• welfare act

• buy american tax on imports

what were some of hardings foreign policies

-refused to join the League of Nations: isolationism

• Hardings Emergency Quota Act May 1921 reduces immigrants

• $25 million to Columbia for land

what was hardings style and personality like

• charming

• good speaker and image

• undoing wilsons work instead of making progress