1945-1975 Political Flashcards
what limited trumans fair deal promise of lower taxes, social security and civil rights?
congressional opposition
how many members did the US communist party have in 1945?
80k
what was the house committee of un-american activities (HCUA)?
investigate communist involvement in gov, film, education etc
who was the drunk senator who went on a witch hunt for communists in the gov?
joseph mccarthy (reds under the beds speech 1950)
what was the eventual outcome for mccarthy?
drunk bully with nothing to back up accusations
he had created anti communist hysteria though
what happened when mccarthy accused the military of being communist?
battered by military lawyers, denounced 1954
who kept files on 1m communist suspects?
J edgar hoover (fbi)
who were executed for being communist spies?
julius and ethel rosenberg
summarise ikes presidency 53-60?
republican, conservative, nixon VP, small gov, little for civil rights
what was jfk’s new frontier?
tried to tackle poor and civil rights
- unemployment benefit extended
- more aid to poor areas
- increased social security
- however, civil rights bill stuck in congress
what was lbj’s great society and list 3 parts of it?
continued jfk’s work
- economic opportunity act 1964
- medicare/medicaid for over 65s
- development act 1964 to replace inner city slums
what caused a dems crisis in 1968?
lbj said he wouldnt run again
3 candidates- Robert kennedy (killed 68), eugene mccarthy, hubert humprey
chicago convention ended in violence
hh nominated
give 5 difficulties faced by nixon between 1969-74?
- radical feminist/youth movements
- vietnam protests
- dems control of congress
- inflation/1971-74 recession
- racial tensions post mlk
who was the first catholic president?
jfk
whats a demagogue and whos the best example of one?
a populist politician who uses emotive language to whip up the feelings of the audience
joseph mccarthy
summarise ike’s presidential approach?
small gov
conservative
moderate
what was the only notable thing ike did for civil rights?
supported the SC in desegregating southern schools
who ran alongside jfk in 1960 and why?
lbj
balance ticket/appeal to south
when was mlk’s march on washington?
28th august 1963
what was the name of the black student who wasn’t allowed in mississippi state uni in 1962?
james meridith
when was the civil rights act passed?
1964
when did johnson offer a peace agreement to north vietnam?
1968
what caused the dems to lose the solid south?
jfk’s radicalness/ the 1964 civil rights bill- they felt betrayed by lbj
what gave the 1968 victory to the reps?
wallace running as an independent- split southern vote (he stood for racism, Humphrey didnt)
who were nixons plumbers?
secret white house intelligence unit under Liddy and Hunt
outline the watergate scandal?
plumbers raided Dems watergate hq
totally denied all (CRP), but this made it worse as investigations started
resignations happened all over nixons administration
tape recordings?
VP agnew resigned 1973 for tax evasion
july 1974- impeachment articles begin in house of reps
9th august 1974- nixon resigns
what did nixon do to deal with domestic problems?
- reformed tax system
- rise in social security
- froze wages
who leaked the pentagon papers?
daniel ellsberg
