US Presidents and their Policies

Flashcards of US Presidents and their Domestic and Foreign Policies

Harry S. Truman (Domestic)

Expanded New Deal with the Fair Deal; desegregated the military; tried to improve civil rights.

Harry S. Truman (Foreign)

Ended WWII by dropping atomic bombs; launched the Marshall Plan; started Cold War policies like containment (Truman Doctrine); started Korean War.

Dwight D. Eisenhower (Domestic)

Built the Interstate Highway System; enforced school desegregation (Little Rock); moderate civil rights support.

Dwight D. Eisenhower (Foreign)

Ended Korean War; started the space race; warned of the "military-industrial complex"; managed Cold War tensions.

John F. Kennedy (Domestic)

Pushed civil rights, space exploration (moon goal); created the Peace Corps.

John F. Kennedy (Foreign)

Failed Bay of Pigs invasion; faced Cuban Missile Crisis (nearly nuclear war); increased involvement in Vietnam.

Lyndon B. Johnson (Domestic)

Created the “Great Society” to end poverty and racial injustice; passed Civil Rights Act and Medicare.

Lyndon B. Johnson (Foreign)

Drastically escalated the Vietnam War, causing major controversy and protests.

Richard Nixon (Domestic)

Created the EPA; ended the draft; resigned due to Watergate scandal.

Richard Nixon (Foreign)

Visited China and USSR (improved relations); began pulling troops from Vietnam.

Gerald Ford (Domestic)

Pardoned Nixon, which made him unpopular; struggled with inflation and unemployment.

Gerald Ford (Foreign)

Signed Helsinki Accords to improve Cold War relations; saw the fall of South Vietnam.

Jimmy Carter (Domestic)

Faced economic issues like inflation and energy crises; promoted human rights.

Jimmy Carter (Foreign)

Helped broker peace between Egypt and Israel (Camp David Accords); faced the Iran Hostage Crisis.

Ronald Reagan (Domestic)

Cut taxes and government regulations (Reaganomics); increased military spending.

Ronald Reagan (Foreign)

Took a tough stance on the USSR; supported anti-communist groups; scandal with Iran-Contra; pushed end of Cold War.

George H. W. Bush (Domestic)

Handled a recession; passed the Americans with Disabilities Act.

George H. W. Bush (Foreign)

Led the Gulf War against Iraq (Operation Desert Storm); saw the Cold War officially end.