1.2- success of New frontier Flashcards
Reasons for limitation
1- Lacked a strong mandate from the electorate : his margin of victory over Nixon had been one of the smallest ever in a presidential election
2- Major problems in winning support in the US congress for his reforms and many of the ‘high priority aspects of the new frontier such as tax reform, federal aid to schools, and health insurance died in congressional committees
3- Republican opposition - Helped block many of his proposals which were either rejected , watered-down or were extensions of other existing programmes
What were some of Kennedys most important successes passed by and what were they?
CEEO and peace corps passed by Presidential executive order rather than congress
After Kennedy’s death who implemented many of the stalled proposals?
Lyndon Johnson thanks to his political skill and large Democrat majorities in both houses of congress
5 legislations under Major legislative initiatives Policy area 1
Medicare School assistance bill Department of Urban affairs Civil rights legislation Tax reform
What was Medicare?
JFK’s planned to increase social security taxes by 0/25% to help pay for Medicare for poor and elderly
Did the medicare act go as planned?
The house ways and means committee,
Chairman Wilbur mills a southern democrat
killed of the measure by not discussing it enough in 1963
What was the school assistance bill? and when?
how much did JFK ask for?
FEB 1961
improve education
asked for 2.3 billion over 3 years to help make new schools and raise salaries for teachers
The positive result of the school assistance bill? and why was it limited
Able to get the higher educational facilities to act passed in 1963, which gave $145 million in grants for graduate schools in sciences , languages, and engineering
Ultimately limited
- Roman Catholic bishops opposed
- excluded church-run schools
- defeated in the house of representatives
What was the department of urban affairs? and how did it fail?
aimed to halt the urban decline
repeatedly rejected in congress during 1961-62
What was the civil rights legislation and how did it fail?
-end jim crow laws in south
- stuck in congress at the time of Kennedy’s death in November 1963
- Howard smith a democrat and pro-segregationist form Virginia, indicated his intention to keep the bill bottled up
What was Tax reform and why did it fail?
- proposed tax cuts to stimulate the economy and encourage further consumer spending
- AUG 1963, the house ways and means committee voted a tax bill out of committee
Legislation under policy area 2 ? and why was it the key topic of debate? and what was done under Kennedy’s gov?
Environmentalism
1963- Udall’s book ‘Quiet Crisis’ warned of the danger of pollution and threats to USA’s resources = legitimized environmental concerns
Udall got 3.85 million acres of land for the national park service
and was responsible for 6 national monuments and 20 historical sites
left a legacy = establishment of national parks that are still protected by government
Legislation under policy area 3
Peace corps
send Americans in 46 developing countries
w 5000 volunteers
prevent communism
improved international US image
legislation under policy area 4
space program
Further, develop NASA
JFK requested $7 -9 billion for the programme over the next 5 years
stimulated further research and development
58% of Americans supported this programme
legislation under policy area 5
civil rights
legislation under policy area 6
social justice
When was Kennedy able to increase the minimum wage for low-paid workers? and by how much?
May 1961
$1 an hour to $2
How many people did the increase in minimum wage cover?
3.6 million
Importance of Carl Vinson in minimum wage?
Ensured certain groups of workers were excluded
Who did not (JOB) benefit from the increase in the minimum wage? and how many?
350,000 poorly paid workers, including 150,000 laundry workers work worked in hospitals schools, and other large institutions
What race were most low-skilled low-paid workers?
Black Americans
What act successfully provided job training for poorly educated?
Development and training act 1962
How many states applied for funding under the Development and training act? how many trainees ?
40 states
12,500 trainees on 351 approved programs
Failure of Development and training act 1962
little impact on unemployment as it mainly subsidized officials and private interests who provided the training rather than greatly decreasing the number of unemployed
What was the Food stamp program? how many did it cover?
Increase school lunch and milk programmes for poor
enabled 700,000 children to enjoy a daily free school lunch and free fresh milk
Fed 240,000 people at a cost of $22 million annually
What was the equal pay act 1963? Negatives and positives
Aim- women equal pay to men for the same job
N- Did not cover all women in work and had no enforcement laws
P- Next ten years 171,000 employees got $84 million in back pay under the act
Who did the Committee on equal employment opportunity allocate jobs to? positives and negatives
allocated a proportion of jobs to black Americans in march 1961
P- 1st attempt by federal gov to introduce affirmative action which ensured minorities got opportunities of federal employment
N- New York Times stated that little change - black unemployment twice as high
What was the housing act 1961?
one of my greatest successes
Congress allocated $4.8 billion to fund housing projects for the poor
P- increases business opportunities for developers and the construction industry
Had all areas benefitted from the economic boom of the 1950’s?
No for example Appalachia was noted for high levels of poverty and economic underdevelopment
What was the area redevelopment act 1961?
provided $394 million over 4 years to aid areas like Appalachia
26,000 new jobs formed
Training programmes benefitted 15,000 people
What act gave subsidies to farmers? and did it succeed?
The food and agriculture bill 1962
rural poverty persisted despite administration efforts
How accurate is it to say that, in the years 1960-63, President Kennedy’s domestic achievements were limited?
P1: Failure to pass major legislative initiatives
P2: Failure to resolve significant social issues
P3: Still able to implement several planned policies and programs
3 failures in passing major legislative initiatives
- medicare
- School assistance act
- Civil rights legislation 1963
3 failures in resolving significant social issues
- Minimum wage act 1961- failed to tackle economic discrimination
- Training and development act 1962- trainees did not leave with necessary skills so unable to get jobs - failed to break the cycle of poverty
- Area development act 1961 - no long term and failed rural regeneration
The overall conclusion of Kennedy’s failure to resolve social issues
piecemeal and limited
he failed to ensure that his legislation was enforced properly or had a long term impact
unable to achieve domestic aims
3 main success that indicates he was not entirely limited
- Peace corps
- National parks
- Food stamp program
P1 evidence
Medicare
School assistance bill 1961
Civil rights legelsation
P2 evidence
Minimum wage act 1961
Training development act 1962
Area development Act 1961
P3 evidence
Minimum wage
Housing act `1961
Food stamp programme
