Kennedy Flashcards
Years John F Kennedy served as president
1961 to 63
What challenges did the new frontier offer
challenges regarding both foreign and domestic policy, including fighting the cold war, science and space, ignorance and prejudice and poverty and surplus
Kennedy stated that if these challenges were met they would bring about a version of the ‘American dream’ that emphasised ‘public interest’
How much did K win the presidential election of 1960 by?
Closest win of the 20th century by 119,450 votes
Kennedy won by 0.17% of the popular vote
Nixon won more states
Kennedy’s strength for his election campaign
- War hero
- Young, handsome, tall - change from old, unmotivated Ike
- Appeared as a charismatic, likeable, modern day family man
- his campaign was driven by television and the media
- 13 years of experience in congress including 7 in the senate
- Support from northern democrats and catholics
- Appealed to AAs - promised improving their lives as a priority
- Father’s wealth and popularity was extremely beneficial to his campaign - came from a family of wealthy politicians
- Win much to do with the errors of Eisenhower and Nixon (explained in Nixon’s failures)
- Looked far better on TV than Nixon and had a talent for debating, whilst Nixon looked sideways at cameras and projected shiftiness Kennedy looked confident and focussed directly on the cameras
- He ran a clever campaign, he did and said the right things - e.g. he attacked Nixon and Eisenhower for having neglected America’s defences and allowing a missile gap to develop between the USA and the USSR
Nixon’s weaknesses during his election campaign
- Associated with Ike - after 8 years people desired change
- Older and less charismatic than Kennedy
- Spends much of his campaign having to defend the actions of Ike
- As Nixon had been Eisenhower’s succeeder, as well as Eisenhower himself being the out-going republican president he should’ve supported Nixon in his campaign but this was not the case, he was preoccupied with defending his own presidential record against Kennedy’s attacks on his policies against defence and poverty - PROVED DIVISIONS IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
- Nixon had made his experience in governing central to his campaign, when Ike was asked for an example of any of Nixon’s ‘major ideas’ that he had adopted, Ike responded with ‘give me a week and I might think of one’ - this damaged Nixon’s campaign and his claim to huge amounts of government experience
- Nixon had ignored the advice of Eisenhower to avoid televised debates as this would just give Kennedy free advertising - Kennedy looked far better on television and debated more effectively
Nixon’s strengths during his election campaign
- 13 years of experience in government and 8 years as vice president
- extensive experience in foreign policy - visits to Africa, South America, Vietnam and Moscow
- He had pledged to campaign in every state
- reputation as a staunch anti-communist
- Extremely strong support from california
What does the narrow election victory of 1960 show?
Kennedy wasn’t as popular as people thought - supports view that Kennedy was all style and no substance
UNCONVINCING VICTORY
How and why didn’t Eisenhower support Nixon in his presidential campaign?
- Some question as to whether Eisenhower believed Nixon had the capability of being president
- He was a tired old man who became irritated at the fact that Nixon had refused to allow Eisenhower to campaign for him until a month before the election
What did Kennedy’s and Nixon’s policies involve?
They were both very similar
Both promised to end the cold war - however, this was unconvincing on Nixon’s behalf given the fact that he was a member of a party that was supposed to have already dealt with the cold war
Both concerned for policies involving extending the economic prosperity experienced during the 1950s to all sections of society, inc those in ethnic minorities
Because there were little differences between the policies of N + K what was the election campaign mainly focussed around?
Presentation
What was said to have been the 1st of the 2 final reasons for Kennedy’s success?
A call Kennedy placed to MLK’s wife when he was imprisoned during a sit-in in Atlanta. This incident was advertised heavily during Kennedy’s campaign and in the end it helped to secure MLKs release
In the end K won 70% of the black vote
What was said to have been the 2nd of the 2 final reasons for Kennedy’s success?
The first ever televised debate, 6 weeks before the election, watched by 74 million people
Kennedy appeared as a young, charismatic, energetic man. He was well-tanned having just returned from campaigning in Florida and caught the public eye in his blue suit.
Nixon appeared as a tired, grey old man. He had just suffered a knee injury and was recovering from the flu. He appeared as particularly worn out probably given the fact that he had been carrying out his promise to campaign in all 50 states
When did Kennedy introduce his new frontier?
Through a speech in July 1960
Why is it difficult to judge Kennedy’s level of success?
His premature death in 1963 - he is remembered as a ‘great president in the making’
Why is it difficult to judge Kennedy’s success - particularly in domestics?
Particularly with domestic policies results take years to become clear, with such a short presidency it is difficult to judge his effectiveness particularly due to the fact that many of his bills introduced were actually forced later through Johnson
Summary of K in domestics
He had some moderate success and adopted a highly liberal and interventionist approach to domestic policies whilst trying to also cut taxes to stimulate the economy
Where were Kennedy’s priorities
Foreign policy - global image and US reputation abroad was the most significant thing to him
Where were Kennedy’s priorities
Foreign policy - global image and US reputation abroad was the most significant thing to him
Domestically he wanted a united society in order to strengthen the US as a whole to fight communism abroad
Problem Kennedy faced with domestic policies?
Opposition from congress - dominated by conservatives
If policies were passed by congress, they would often be watered down
Kennedy was a young, new president serving his first term. He therefore lacked influence over key figures in congress
e.g. rejected Kennedy’s proposal for federal funding for elementary and secondary school education in 1961
How many of Kennedy’s policies for domestic policies were passed by congress?
35 of 58
New frontier policies and the US economy
- Focussed on the creation of new, better paid jobs and providing housing for low-income and retired Americans:
1. $3.19 billion spent on a Housing act introduced which constructed 100,000 new homes and provided 420,000 construction jobs
2. Increased minimum wage further by a whole dollar an hour
3. Focussed on increasing extra welfare and unemployment benefits
4. Focussed on protection of workers: - 1962 executive order
- 1962 contract work hours
- 1962 safety standards act
These acts established standards for working hours and safety and provided federal employees with collective bargaining rights
New frontier policies and welfare
- social security benefits increased by 20%
- School lunch act provided free lunches and free milk for low income Americans
- increased funding for foster care and the disabled
- the benefits system was extended to cover 5 million more Americans
KENNEDY WENT FURTHER THAN ANY PRESIDENT BEFORE HIM TO IMPLEMENT A SYSTEM OF UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE
-Introduction of medicare which provided universal healthcare for the elderly - increased funding for nursing homes
- millions of children vaccinated through social security act of 1963
New frontier policies and NASA
- Kennedy provided an extra $9 billion for NASA for the purpose of putting a man on the moon by the end of the 60s
- During Kennedy’s 3 year presidency 6 men were put into space including Alan Shepard
New frontier policies and women’s rights
Kennedy established the presidential commission on the status of women in December 1961 and invited Eleanor Roosevelt to chair it
- The commissions final report, ‘American women’ published in 1963 outlined problems regarding discrimination against women in the workplace and recommended advances such as paid maternity leave
- Kennedy signed the equal pay act into law in 1963 which allowed 171,000 women to claim $84 million worth of pay over the next 10 years
Why was the new frontier particularly popular?
Appealing as it tarnished the Eisenhower era of ‘selfish complacency’
Overall which areas of society had the 38 acts passed by congress covered?
women’s rights, civil rights, welfare, economy, specifically housing and unemployment, education,
Main failure of new frontier
Extension of social reform acts already implemented - success can be questioned
None of his major reform initiatives such as tax cuts and civil rights became law during his time in office. Many of his ideas were fulfilled during Johnson’s presidency through the Great society
Why can it be argued that Kennedy’s inability to persuade congress to pass all his ‘new frontier’ measures was a failure in itself?
As noted by Neustadt, presidential power is the ‘power to persuade’ Kennedy’s failures to persuade congress were unimpressive and his successes can therefore only be seen to be mediocre
Main success of New frontier
Brought social issues to the centre of government attention and laid out policies and ideas for the great society
Subsidiary reason for why his domestic failures
- more concern for foreign policy + couldn’t avoid issues abroad e.g. iproblems in Cuba, Berlin and Vietnam dominated much of his time
- lack of economic necessity
Evidence Kennedy was sympathetic for civil rights through his election campaign?
Phoned Coretta King and had MLK released after he was jailed during the sit-ins of the 1960s
Evidence Kennedy was sympathetic for civil rights through employment?
- Used his executive power effectively and put pressure on his administration to employ more black people
- 40 AAs were appointed to top posts
- 5 AAs appointed as federal judges
- Kennedy established the Committee on equal employment opportunity (CEEO) designed to ensure equal employment opportunities for federal employees
Actions of Bobby Kennedy - was it more his brothers doings than Kennedy’s?
- Bobby Kennedy appointed Attorney General who brought about 57 lawsuits against illegal violations of black voting rights compared to Eisenhower’s 6
- Asked the national guard and state troopers to intervene and protect those involved in the freedom rides
- sent 500 marshals to help James Meredith enrol at the University of Mississippi
TAKE NOTE: JFK responded to clashes against the 500 marshals by sending US army regulars to re-enforce the marshals - Put pressure on the supreme court to desegregate lunch counters and pass ruling on inter-state bussing
- Actions and response to the freedom rides of 1961
Evidence Kennedy was sympathetic for civil rights through his sport?
He put pressure on the Washington redskins, the last baseball team not to have appointed any black players to sign 3 black members
- Called Coretta King during his election campaign - could suggest he had a concern for civil rights movement, even before he became president
- The progress he made was relatively impressive given the huge amounts of white opposition from white citizens councils
Evidence Kennedy was didn’t have sympathy for civil rights?
- His actions were often symbolic e.g. calling Coretta King during his election campaign or reactionary meaning he only responded to events after something significant happens and doesn’t respond off his own accord, as well as this he waited until 1963, the final year of his presidency to really commit himself to the cause suggesting civil rights was never a priority to him
- Kennedy opposed Eisenhower’s 1957 civil rights act
- Didn’t refrain from appointing segregationists judges - made up 20% of his deep south judicial appointments
- Only introduced civil rights bill in 1963 due to cold war context and America’s image deteriorating abroad
- Provided limited funding to the EEOC
