Political change 1960-2000 Flashcards
New Frontier
Kennedy’s reform policies in the 1960’s
Improve life of Americans specifically Black Americans and people from low income families
Why was there lots of oppostion in 1960’s congress?
Kennedy only won by a very narrow margin
What did Congress think of Kennedy?
too young and inexperienced
politicians from the south didn’t like his support for civil rights
protestant politicians didn’t trust him as he was Catholic and saw his proposals as too extereme
What result did having little support in congress lead to for Kennedy?
many of his Bills were not passed while he was alive
Kennedy’s medicare
1961 Kennedy started looking at free healthcare for people over 65
in 1962 his proposal was blocked by Congress
Eventually passed in 1965
what was minimum wage raised to?
increased minimum wage to 1.25 an hour
by KENNEDY
1961 Housing Act
helped improve living condition by providing cheap loans for developers to build better housing
1962 Manpower development and training act
helped people get jobs without training
KENNEDY
Who was Thurgood Marshall?
First Black SC justice
hired by KENNEDY
When was Kennedy assasinated?
22 November 1963
Who took over for Kennedy after he was assasinated?
Johnson
(Kennedy’s Vice President)`
What was the name of Johnson’s reform programme?
The Great Society
Aims of the GREAT SOCIETY
to create a country in which living standards were high
decalared ‘war’ on poverty and wanted to put an end to racial discrimination
When was Johnson President?
1963-68
Why did Johnson have an advantage being from Texas?
he was able to handle southern democrats opinion (unlike Kennedy)
Civil Rights Act 1964
passed by Johnson
made discimination in public places, education and employment illegal
Voting Rights Act 1965
literacy tests abolished
every state to have same voting requirements
Johnson’s Medicare and Medicaid
provided basic hospital and medical insurance for people aged 65 and older
helped to desegregate medical treatment
How much did Johnsons Medicare and Medicaid cost to establish?
10 billion USD
How many people signed up for mediacre/ medicaid in 1965
19 million
1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act
passed by Johnson
aim was to make the standard of education between different states more equal.
What did Johnson raise the minimum wage to?
$1.40 an hour
What was the Model Cities Program
1966/ Johnson
provide funding to replace or improve poor quality housing
What oppositions were there to the GREAT SOCIETY?
republicans still believed in rugged individualism
- said Johnson spent too much on Welfare
Vietnam War
Why did Civil Rights campaigners critisise Johnson?
not doing more to tackle problems
(especially afte race riots in 1967)
Who was elected in 1968?
President Nixon
When did Nixon govern?
1968-74
Why was Nixon forced to resign?
Watergate Scandal
‘Tricky Dicky’
Nixon’s nickname as he used ‘dirty tricks’ to beat his rivals
CREEP
committee to Re-Elect the President
How much money did CREEP provide to its members?
$350,000
(to do whatever was thought neccesary to make sure Nixon won election)
What happend June 1972
5 members of CREEP arrested for breaking in to Watergate’s office.
Caught trying to fix surveillance devices to enable Nixon to know what his opponents were planning
What did Nixon do to cover up Watergate scandal?
met advisers and discussed:
how they could stop FBI from investigating CREEP
and offer money to burgalers to keep quiet about who they had been working for
Why was Nixons attempt to cover up the Watergate Scandal a federal crime?
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
What majority did Nixon win in 1972?
49/50 states
over 60% of votes
LARGE MAJORITY
Who is James McCord?
one of the convicted burgarlers
said that the White House had covered it up
What did Nixon give the FBI in November 1973?
7/9 of the tapes that recorded his converstations
18 minutes was edited out of one of them
What did Nixon give the FBI in April 1974?
All of the tapes (unedited) that recorded his conversations in the Oval office
REVEALED HIS INVOLVEMENT
When did Nixon resign?
August 1974
Why did Nixon resign?
To avoid impeachment
Was Nixon criminally charged for the Watergate Scandal?
No
Ford Pardoned him
