55-63 Kennedys New Frontier Flashcards
Why did Kennedy (&the new frontier) appeal to voters in 1960
-was young, the opposite to Eisenhower (the oldest president followed by the youngest)
-democrat
-represents the American dream
-Kennedy charm, beautiful family
-passing the torch to the new generation (young)
new frontier speech appeal
Kennedy offers the American people change after a decade of confomrity
is a capitalist yet critiques consumerism.
1960 election help
-at 43 he was the youngest ever president (looked FRESH compared to Eisenhower)
-President during an economic recession (could blame it on Eisenhower, and promise of help would gain him votes)
-served in the house and the Senate (shows experience)
-VP LBJ was from Texas, and JFK was from Boston (appealed to different demogrpahic of voters.
1960 election hinderance
-The first ever Roman Catholic President, (WASPs)
-won by 113,000 out of 68 million votes (No mandate)
senate and house under jfk
House of representives: 262 democrats out of 438, down by 21
Senate: Democrat 62 seats out of 100, down 2 seats
shows a lack of faith in democrats, and makes it more difficult to get congress to pass laws.
And lots of those democrats would be southern, so they would vote against civil right issues
areas of the new frontier
-poverty
-space programmes
-peace corps
-environmentalism
Poverty
Area redevelopment Act 1961
Manpower Training and Development Act 1962
Omnibus Housing Act 1961
Miniumum wage act
Area redevelopment act success
granted $394 million to extend employment oppurtunities in states like west virginia.
Although poorly funded by congress, it created 26,000 jobs as well as a training programme which beneftiited 15,000 people
Area Redevelopment Act failures
However across the nation 5 million people remained unemployed, and congress refused to reauthorise the act in 1963. (this was due to Republicand and southern democrats resenting civil rights.)
Man power Training and Development Act success
A programme to re/train workers unemployed due to technological change.
by the end of 1962 there was 351 approved programmes for 12,600 trainees
Kennedy claimed it was significant
Man Power Training and Development Act failures
Little impact on unemployment as it mainly subsided officials and private intrests who provided the training as opposed to greatly decreasing the number of unemployed
Omnibus Housing Act success
congress granted $5 billion for the extension of existing programmes like urban renewal and public housing and authorised low interest loans for struggling middle income families.
Omnibus Housing Act failure
However congress was more focused on getting out of a recession than alleviating poverty, so the act was designed to help developers, construction unions in cities rather than the poor.
Minimum Wage Act success
raised minimum wage by $0.25 to $1.25 and covered and extra 3.6 million workers
Minimum Wage Act failure
half a million of the poorest remained uncovered, including 150,000 laundry woman, most of whom were black.
The republicans opposed the raise and southern democrats had no desire to help black women
What were the Peace Corps?
1961
young Americans (particularly men) were sent around the world to represent America and help with newly emerging economys, like Africa and Asia to build houses and schools
gave america a good reputation in the cold war
who led the peace corps
Sargent Shriver (Jfks brother in law)
success of the Peace corps
71% of americans approved of the Peace Corps
15,000 applying per week
it was so successful that both Democrats and republicans voted to finance it for the next fifty years.
critique of the Peace Corps
not everyone who applied got in (22% failed)
only minimal allowances~ only the rich could afford it
Allocated resources abroad whilst there was still unemployement within America
Some cynics called it “Kennedys Kiddy Corps.”
Which book started the environmentla revolution in America
“The Silent Spring” By Rachel Carson
environement legislation
-water pollution control act 1961
-Cape Cod national seashore 1961
-Wilderness Bill & Wilderness Act 1964
Water pollution control act
built upon previous legislation to protect waterways from high levels of pollution
Cape cod national sea shore
JFK signed a bill authorising this establishment, reflecting the importance of conservation. Protected due to natural and recreational purposes
Wilderness bill & Wilderness Act
federal land management statute meant to protect federal wilderness
FAILED under JFK but passed by LBJ
protected 9.1 million acres of land
Kennedys ambitions in space
at first aiming for the moon seemed overly ambitious, so congress did not support Kennedy.
however as the Soviets advanced, congress began to suppoprt the space race.
space race key dates
1957- SPutnik (before Kennedy)
1961 April- Yuri Gagarin
1961 May- Alan Shepard
1963- Valentina Tereshkova
1969- moon landing
first men in space
soviet- Yuri Gagarin (first)
usa- Alan Shepard
wome soviet- Valnetina Tereshkova
moon landing cost?
$40 billion
roughly $225 for each American
public opnion of space race
by 1965, 58% of Americans approved of the moon landing
