Video Lecture: The Eisenhower Era and 1952 Campaign — Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and figures from the lecture notes on the 1952 campaign, MacArthur’s fall, and the rise of television advertising.

MacArthur

U.S. general whose political rhetoric and public posture led to conflict with civilian leadership and his eventual dismissal by President Truman in 1951.

Omar Bradley

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs who warned that MacArthur’s politics would pull the U.S. into the wrong war at the wrong time.

Eisenhower (Ike)

WWII Allied commander who became the 34th U.S. president; internationalist; pivotal in NATO and in shaping the 1952 campaign using television.

Taft

Robert A. Taft, U.S. Senator from Ohio; a leading conservative isolationist who played a major role in the 1952 nomination dynamics.

Adlai Stevenson

Illinois governor and Democratic presidential candidate in 1952; renowned for eloquent, intellectual speeches and cautious use of television.

Cook County machine

Chicago-based political machine that backed Stevenson and influenced Illinois politics through organization and patronage.

Rosser Reeves

Advertising innovator who championed the Unique Selling Proposition and popularized television spots in political campaigns.

USP (Unique Selling Proposition)

A single, clear feature used to differentiate a product or candidate; central to Reeves’s campaign strategy.

Ted Bates agency

Major advertising firm involved in crafting Ike’s television campaign; collaborated with Reeves on campaign strategy.

Checkers speech

Nixon’s 1952 televised address defending his finances and family expenses, notably mentioning his dog Checkers.

Nixon fund

Secret fundraising fund used to supplement Nixon’s campaign travel; raised by wealthy donors and later exposed.

Col. Robert R. McCormick

Publisher of the Chicago Tribune; a leading Midwest isolationist voice and fierce critic of the New Deal.

Chicago Tribune

Influential Midwestern newspaper that shaped regional attitudes and supported isolationist sentiments.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization; postwar military alliance in which Ike played a key role in leadership and strategy.

Containment

Postwar foreign policy goal to prevent Soviet expansion; supported bipartisan international engagement.

Isolationism vs. Internationalism

Two foreign policy orientations: withdrawal from entanglements vs. active engagement and alliances abroad.

Joseph McCarthy

Senator who led aggressive anti-Communist investigations, contributing to the era of McCarthyism.

Eggheads

Pejorative label describing Adlai Stevenson’s intellectual, elite image during the campaign.

Dewey

Thomas E. Dewey, Republican candidate in 1948; later helped Eisenhower’s 1952 campaign and nomination dynamics.

GI Bill intellectuals

Younger, educated postwar voters influenced by the GI Bill, shaping Stevenson’s appeal to a more educated electorate.