Civi US Semestre 2

What characterized the 1920s in the US?

Years of incredible prosperity; the US was the largest industrial and agricultural power

What was the dominant economic belief in the US before 1929? How was the government because of that ?

Laissez-faire capitalism — minimal government intervention in the economy. Small government, not many government workers, the president had little power, private corporations were free to thrive

When did the Wall Street Crash happen?

October 1929

What was the unemployment rate in the US by 1930?

25%.

What was the economic crisis of the 1930s called?

The Great Depression.

Who was US president during the Wall Street Crash?

Herbert Hoover (Republican)

What was Hoover’s economic belief? How should people see the government according to him?

Laissez-faire: the market would fix itself. Believed in “self-help”. Also believed people should be distrustful of the government, should not depend on it because it could abuse its power.

What is a welfare state?

A state where the government provides social programs like pensions and unemployment insurance.Big government both in size and budget; government more present in people’s lives. (opposite of laissez-faire)

Who became Governor of New York in 1928? When was he elected President?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Democrat). Elected President in 1932

What was Roosevelt’s political solution to the Great Depression? How was it financed?

The New Deal — he improved the system by expanding government intervention and welfare programs. It was financed with higher taxes, especially on the rich

What and when was the Social Security Act?

1935: Law creating unemployment insurance and pensions for people over 65.

Why didn’t FDR include health insurance in the Social Security Act?

It was his goal to include it but opposition from doctors and private hospitals because they would loose money if they were nationalized.

What was the WPA (Works Progress Administration)?

1935-1943: A New Deal program creating jobs through public infrastructure projects, financed by government money.

What and when was the Wealth Tax Act?

1935: A tax of up to 79% on incomes over 5 million dollars per year

What ended the Great Depression?

WW2, but the New Deal helped stabilize the economy

How did the New Deal change the Democratic Party?

The Democratic party used to be conservative too (=in favor of a small government). It became the party of the Left — supporting Big Government and social reform.

Why did Southern Democrats oppose parts of the New Deal?

They feared federal intervention could threaten their daily lives, including segregation.

When did Roosevelt die ?

April 1945

What was a constitutional result of FDR’s long presidency (1933-45) ? .

An amendment in the constitution stating a limit of two presidential terms was introduced

What was the dominant political consensus in the US after 1945? What did it support?

The Liberal Consensus/New Deal Order. Supports strong unions, high wages, welfare state, regulated capitalism.

What happened to the Republican Party after 1945?

It split between old laissez-faire conservatives and moderate/liberal Republicans.

Who were Moderate/Liberal Republicans?

Upper-class, often from wealthy WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) families, believed capitalism was the best system, but it needed government supervision (=regulated capitalism)

Who was Dwight D. Eisenhower?

A famous WWII general; organized D-Day and liberated Paris.He helped create NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization = OTAN) after WWII?

When was Eisenhower president? Which party ?

1953 (reelected in 1957). Republican party, as a moderate Republican. He was the first Republican president in 20 years

How did Eisenhower view the New Deal?

He accepted it and continued it, even expanding social security by adding pensions to disabled people

When and what was the Supreme Court case that ended segregation in schools?

1954: Brown v. Board of Education. (Discrimination remained despite that, for instance in 1957 Little Rock Arkansas where black students were repressed when integrating school)

Who were Conservative Republicans in the 50s ?

A small minority had not accepted the New Deal, rejected Einsenhower’s moderation = Anti-Eisenhower Republicans

Who was the most famous Conservative Republican in the 1950s?

Joseph McCarty, a senator known for his obsession with anti-communism, he was convinced Russian spies had infiltrated the government, the CIA…

What happened to Joseph McCarthy?

He was a failure, an alcoholic, was rejected by Eisenhower. He died but remained as a symbol of conservative resistance to the Liberal consensus.

What was the idea of "Fusionism" in US conservatism?

The combination of three types of conservatives:

• Economic conservatives (heirs of Hoover & laissez faire),

• Traditionalists (religious conservatives, pro-life, homophobes…)

• Anti-communists.

  → same ideas but different priorities

Who pushed the Democrats to call for the end of segregation and when?

1948: Harry Truman. Southern Democrats (pro-segregation) then left the party to create their own, which failed

How did JFK address civil rights?

Publicly said in 1963: "Segregation must stop".

Who replaced JFK and passed key civil rights legislation?

Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) 1963-69.

What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 do?

Ended racial and gender discrimination (still, most black people could not vote in the South)

What and when was the Voting Rights Act?

1965: It secured voting rights for Black Americans in the South.

What was Johnson’s domestic program called? What was its goal?

The Great Society→ Big Government. To fight poverty and share the country's wealth more equally. He created the poverty line, 40M Americans lived under it.

What government healthcare programs did Johnson create?

Medicare (for 65+ senior citizens) and Medicaid (for the very poor). = free government healthcare

What social reforms did the Great Society include?

Support for education, public housing, transportation, scientific research.

What was the War on Poverty?

Johnson's social program to reduce poverty, Number of Americans under poverty line divided by two.

Why was the Great Society controversial?

It was expensive, especially combined with the Vietnam War.

Who was Barry Goldwater?

A far-right Republican Senator, leader of conservatives. He called moderate Republicans 'RINOs’ = Republicans In Name Only

What were Goldwater’s key positions within the Republican party?

Laissez-faire economics, anti-communism, rejection of welfare state and Civil Rights Act. + Openly racist party

What principle did conservatives defend about segregation?

States' rights to deal with segregation locally, without federal intervention (local solution instead of Big Government).

What was the political impact of the 1964 election?

Goldwater lost the election to Lyndon B Johnson but won the Republican party, shifting it rightward.

What was the “Southern Strategy”?

Nixon’s plan to attract Southern voters upset by Civil Rights reforms — to switch from the Democratic to the Republican party.

What happened in Northern cities during the 1960s?

Race riots, urban violence, and rising taxes caused “the white backlash” = growing anger toward the Democratic party (felt like their taxes financed ghettos and violence in black communities). Martin Luther King Jr was killed in 1968.

Who were Nixon’s “Silent Majority”?

Ordinary Americans who worked, paid taxes, opposed protests/violence, not really involved in politics.

When was Nixon President? What did he do?

1969-74. He governed moderately despite his conservative campaign, he expanded Big Government and the welfare state by creating the EPA (Environment Protection Agency). Popular.

What scandal ended Nixon’s presidency?

1972: The watergate scandal; he resigned in 1974

What was the New Right?

A new generation of conservatives in the 1980s, with 3 main branches:

• the supply side theory supporters

• the christian right

• neo-conservatives

What are supply side theory supporter’s ideas? What is trickle-down theory?

The government should help supply rather than demand. Tax cuts for the rich to encourage companies to create jobs would lead to economic benefits for everyone.

Who were the Christian Right?

Conservative Christians opposing abortion, LGBT rights, and liberal social values.

When was Ronald Reagan president? What did he promise during his campaign?

1981-89: He promised tax cuts, welfare cuts, and conservative judges. End of the New Deal era. He thought the welfare state was useful during the Great Depression, but now encouraged laziness.

Who were the supporters of Reagan?

The Reagan Coalition: Southern states, Conservative protestants, working-class whites.

What was the gender gap in US politics?

Men and women voting differently (men leaning more conservative)

Did Reagan fulfill his campaign promises?

Yes:

• Biggest tax cut in US history

• Welfare cuts

• 3 anti-abortion judges appointed

• Huge military spending

What was the economic result of Reagan’s policies?

Massive debt but also incredible prosperity (18 million new jobs). He was then reelected in 1984 by winning 49/50 states.

Who succeeded Reagan as president?

George H.W. Bush (1989-93), Reagan’s Vice President.

What challenge did post-Reagan Democrats face?

The country was shifting right; liberal ideas were less popular.

What was the DLC (Democratic Leadership Council)?

A group within the Democratic Party promoting centrist ideas (less liberal).

Who represented this new Democratic strategy? What economic strategy did he promote?

Bill Clinton (1993-2001). He promoted the “Third Way”: a balance between liberal and conservative ideas.

What was NAFTA?

A free trade agreement negotiated by Clinton between the US, Canada, and Mexico.

What was Clinton’s approach to welfare?

Reform it into “workfare” — people needed to work to get benefits.

What project did Clinton fail to implement?

Universal free public healthcare (blocked by Republicans and private sector).

Bill Clinton was president from…?

1993-2001

When was George W. Bush president?

2001-2009.

What were Bush’s key conservative policies?

• Tax cuts

• Conservative stance on guns, immigration, and social issues

• Opposition to same-sex marriage

What new type of politics emerged under Bush?

Culture wars — debates focused on identity (guns, abortion, religion) rather than on ideas.

What major event ended Bush’s presidency?

The 2008 Great Recession (worst crisis since the Great Depression).

List US Presidents in order, from 1929 to the present (omit the ones we didn’t mention in class)

• Herbert Hoover: 1929-1933

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt: 1933-1945

• Harry Truman: 1945-1953

• Dwight D. Eisenhower: 1953-1961

• John F. Kennedy: 1961-1963

• Lyndon B. Johnson: 1963-1969

• Richard Nixon: 1969-1974

• Ronald Reagan: 1981-1989

• Georges H.W Bush: 1989-1993

• Bill Clinton: 1993-2001

• Georges W Bush: 2001-2009

• Barack Obama: 2009-2017

• Donald Trump: 2017-2021

• Joe Biden: 2021-2025