Truman domestic polcies

list of Harry Trumans most significant domestic failures and sucsesses

Housing act

1949 - 150,000 affordable houses built but the target was 810,000

GI Bill

1944-49 - offered grants for veterans to attend university or to learn a trade. Nearly 9 million veterans received a total of around $4 billion.

Employment act

1946 - established the CEA (council of economic advisors), gave the federal government responsibility of maintaining low inflation and high employment opportunities.

‘Fair deal’

21 points given by Truman as his aims for his presidency. includes; tax cuts, federal aid for education and anti lynching laws

• however much of this wasn’t passed through congress

domestic successes

employment rose from 46 - 61 million

GI bill invested 20 billion into the economy

average income per household rose by 40%

Congress

Unsupportive Congress - republican (first since 1923)

• contested Truman’s fair deal

• However Truman also vetoed 260 bills with 11 going through

Strikes

1946 strikes involved 4.6 million workers, republican congress passed the Taft Hartley act to cut union power, Truman was unable to veto

• tough stance - threatened to conscript - media linked this to ‘nazism’

Taft Hartley act

1946 - decreases union power where u couldn’t join a union if

• unimployed

• Had a criminal record

• Truman tried to veto but was denied

How big was inflation

25%

desegregation of the military

1948, Executive Order 9981, The order mandated the desegregation of the U.S. military.

Anti lynching laws

1947 - tried to pass however was blocked

Meeting with the NAACP

Truman met with the civil rights leader in 1951 - first president to do this