America And The Great Society Flashcards
What was the New Frontier?
Kennedy’s idea of improving America by making sure everyone had things like wealth and employment
Give some positive things JFK did toward civil rights
- He gave more jobs to African Americans than any other president
- created a CEEO that was meant to ensure everyone employed by the government had equal opportunities
Give some negative things JFK did towards civil rights
- was concerned of what southern politicians and voters would have thought of him
- tried to get MLK to call of his Washington DC great March
Give some positive things JFK did towards the economy
- Made $900 million available to businesses to create jobs
- gave grants to companies to buy high tech equipment and train workers on how to use it
Give some negative things JFK did towards the economy
- The new equipment sometimes led to job losses
- by 1963, spending cuts in the government jobs made 4.5 million unemployed
Give some positives JFK did towards healthcare and decreasing poverty
- Increased the minimum hourly wage from $1 to $1.25
- made $4.8 billion available for loans, home improvements, slum clearing and building roads and phone lines
What were some negative things involving JFK in healthcare and decreasing poverty?
- The minimum hourly wage was only helpful to the unemployed
- us congress defeated JFKs proposals to Medicare
Give a positive JFK did towards education
- Young Americans liked the peace corps idea where they could be teachers, nurses, doctors, technicians advisors and help in poor countries
- JFKs efforts to provide federal funds towards schools were denied by congress
Why did congress deny JFKs efforts to provide federal funds to schools?
Congress was mainly southern politicians who clashed with Kennedy over civil rights and so refused to support his plans
What was the difference between LBJ and JFK?
LBJ didn’t care what others thought of him and was devious and manipulative whereas Kennedy actively wanted people to like him
What did Jonson himself do about civil rights?
Introduced the voting rights act banning literacy tests and other obstacles preventing African Americans from voting
What did Johnson follow up from Kennedy for civil rights?
Introduced the Civil Rights Act which banned discrimination based on race and gender employment and ended segregation in air public places
What did Johnson carry out from Kennedy to improve environment?
Introduced the Model Cities Act to clear up inner city slums
What did Johnson himself do about the environment?
Air and Water quality acts tightened controls over pollution
What did Johnson do about poverty?
Introduced a Housing Act to fund low income housing
What did Johnson follow up from Kennedy to improve health
Medicare was created to fund healthcare for elderly and low income families
What was NOW and who established it?
National Organisation for Women established by Betty Friedan and others in 1066 to demand equal rights for women, collectively known as the feminist movement
What did WWII change for women?
More women were working in factories and earning their own money giving them a sense of independence
When did women earn what percentage less than men for the same job?
1963, 60%
What % of women were doctors and what % of women were lawyers
4% lawyers and 7% doctors
When was the Equal Pay Act and what did it do?
In 1964 banned discrimination and employment on the basis of race and sex by the Civil Rights act
Give an example showing progress for women
- NOW had around 40,000 members after a few years of establishment
- in 1973 the Supreme Court ruled women had the right to a safe and legal abortion
Give points that show a step back for women’s rights
- there was a stop ERA campaign by Phyllis Schlafy, successful in preventing equal rights from becoming part of the US constitution
- as late as 1985, there were still only 24 female politicians in congress out of 535 in total
What did women do in 1968?
Over 400 ‘women’s libbers’ disrupted Miss America beauty contest in Atlantic City by setting up bins they called ‘freedom trashcans’ and throwing things like bras, curlers and high heels
