Early Impact of the Cold War on the Presidency

Question 1

What was introduced in 1947 to increase the President’s control over military affairs

Answer 1

The 1947 National Security Act was passed which established the CIA and organised forces under the Defence Department in the Pentagon

Question 2

How did the Korean War begin to shift what the President focused on?

Answer 2

Made it so foreign affairs and dealing with the Cold War became more important than dealing with domestic affairs, which led to the latter becoming something Congress dealt with more again

Question 3

How did the Republicans begin to shift their approach to the Democrats

Answer 3

Began to abandon a co-operative Congress, instead being critical of Truman and, for example, his rising of the defence budget to a peak of 14% of GNP which included tax increases

Question 4

How did the media begin to change the view of the Presidency?

Answer 4

1) Truman was a poor communicator and refrained from action or giving out information too much that people began looking at alternate sources like that of the Republicans

2) This inflamed tensions between Congress and the White House, which the media put on full display to the public and began disillusionment amongst the public of the government being self regulating and co-operative