Political Environment 1945-80

Question 1

Presidential style Eisenhower

Answer 1

Deliberately friendly
Obscured or minimised problem (eg USSR in space)
Good public manner and used clear imagery
Exceptional organisation
Good at political bargaining

Question 2

Presidential style Kennedy

Answer 2

Political family
Importance of charm and speech making style/ self presentation
Used TV really well, used personal chats
Good public manner
Advisors not working together
Regular meetings yet less long term planning
Worked well networking Congress

Question 3

Presidential style LBJ

Answer 3

Been in politics a while 
Importance of winning people over 
Could change style accordingly 
Gave good speeches, best with smaller groups 
Own organisation was good 
Worked very well with congress
Understood how to use connection ps 
Creative thinking

Question 4

Presidential style Nixon

Answer 4

Hated disagreement, spur of the moment decisions then backtrack
Distrusted the media
Not good with people
Regular meetings and briefings with WH staff
Suspicious nature, hard to make connections

Question 5

The Korean War

Answer 5

1950-53
War that began when NKorea (supplied and advised by USSR) invaded South Korea, USA aided the South Koreans and communist China joined on side of NKorea

Question 6

The Second Red Scare

Answer 6

Followed WWII, USSR joined US and allies towards end of war
Increasing numbers of countries emerging with Soviet Govt
Fears of communist takeovers
Within context of Cold War and Korean War

Question 7

The beginnings of the second red scare

Answer 7

USSR spying on US
Keen to get hold of atomic weapons secrets
Elizabeth Bentley told HUAC she was part of Moscow spy ring

Question 8

Trials of the Second Red Scare

Answer 8

Trials of Alger Hiss who had been advisor to Roosevelt- trialled and retrial led to be found guilty
Rosenbergs found guilty

Question 9

Presidential style Truman

Answer 9

Not charismatic
Made mistakes under pressure
Working with media important
Didn’t explain enough sometimes (Korean War)
Didn’t try to connect with public or explain strategy
Worked less well with Congress
Fewer contacts and less able to network

Question 10

Involvement of ‘China Lobby’

Answer 10

Members accused Truman of being responsible as he didn’t give enough support to Chinese leader

Question 11

Effect of the media in the decline in confidence

Answer 11

Had wider access
Saw job as exposing govt rather than explaining policies
Truman mishandled

Question 12

Effect of scandal in the decline in confidence

Answer 12

The Watergate Scandal showed the WH and Nixon as guilty of burglary and surveillance of political opponents

Question 13

Effect of the mishandling of events in the decline in confidence (60s)

Answer 13

Govt couldn’t avoid responsibility of mishandling Vietnam
Responsibility of army scandals and war decisions
Issue one of trusts
1964- gulf of Tonkin incident
1968 Tet Offensive- media show war as far from in control
1969 My Lai Massacre- american troops kill village

Question 14

Effect of the White House administration in the decline in confidence

Answer 14

Enlargement of staff under Roosevelt caused problems
People acting in presidents name without permission
Took bribes and made deals
Costs of staffing rose
Campaigns funded by unions and big businesses that thought they would then have an influence

Question 15

Effect of social factors in the decline in confidence

Answer 15

Violent police reaction
1968 riots in cities after death of MLK
Places such as Chicago became notorious with police violence
National Guard increasingly violent
1970 Kent University shooting of 9
Violence of civil rights protestors when the 1965 Voting Rights Act failed to cure the ‘de facto’

Question 16

Effect of the presidents in the decline in confidence

Answer 16

LBJ: troops in Vietnam without congress approval, poor communication
Nixon: few warmed to his forced style, shock of Watergate
Distrust of Ford as he pardoned Nixon
Carter voted due to morality yet couldn’t manage congress, poor decisions, over looked political realities, lack of flexibility

Question 17

President Reagan

Answer 17

1981
Old fashioned Republican views
Against ‘big govt’ and for being financially responsible, reducing govt borrowing rather than spending money the govt didn’t have on welfare
Wasn’t possible to revert entirely to laissez faire, still expectation of some welfare

Question 18

McCarthy

Answer 18

50-54 headed the Red Scare
Gathered some support
Ill substantiated facts
Led a series of investigations of suspect communists and his apparent conviction, use of speeches, interviews and TV appearances appealed
Vigilante group of ‘red baiters’
Remained powerful until turning on the army in 1953

Question 19

The anti communism of in review

Answer 19

Changed the political scene
Significant curb on civil liberties
FBI was given powers
Behaviour moving towards that of repressive communist regimes
Freedom of speech and expression limited
One of few policies that united republicans and democrats

Question 20

Emergence of liberalism

Answer 20

2nd red scare and increasing violence against civil rights campaigners made people uneasy about pol. climate
Liberalism took off under Kennedy
Values of American Dream
Supported equality, civil rights and social welfare

Question 21

Counter culture

Answer 21

Many young people trying to remake society altogether: rejecting values of parents generation and distrusting politics
Change society by changing culture

Question 22

Hippies

Answer 22

Loosen tight family system
Live in communal societies
Peace and a simple way of life
Supported a wider sexual freedom than marriage gave
Woodstock festival (1969)
Music loud, drugs freely available, sexual freedom expected

Question 23

Radical student groups

Answer 23

Wanted to change society in the USA to produce a more equal world
Change everything from the way courses were organised to ending the war in Vietnam
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) set up in 1960

Question 24

SDS

Answer 24

Rejected all forms of bigotry inc. racism and anti communism
Protested, often violently, against the war in Vietnam
Free Speech movement in 1965
Group used sit-ins, peaceful protests and other tactics
Push for free speech on campus
Radical students not always on campuses but were the most noticeable, affected how people felt about all students

Question 25

Conservative reaction to counter culture

Answer 25

Challenged family values and consumer culture values of hard work and striving for success rejected as well as traditional Christian values and patriotism 'New Right' to restore law and order Nixon campaigned on new rights policies Religious groups, particularly evangelical ones, held campus campaigns such as Bill Bright and the 'Campus Crusade for Christ' Religious right movement emerged that campaigned for a return to traditional family values

Question 26

Cold War begins

Answer 26

WWII led US to more involvement abroad US and USSR fought together yet had ideological differences Truman anti communist and Stalin anti capitalist Differences became a war when countries that had been occupied by the USSR during the war set up communist govts Truman decided US needed a policy of 'containment'- Truman Doctrine and Marshall plan

Question 27

Nuclear defence of the Cold War

Answer 27

Once clear USSR had nuclear capability- US govt had to be seen as preparing for nuclear attack Federal Defence Administration set up to organise evacuations and pamphlets given out 'Duck and cover' exercises

Question 28

Arms race of the Cold War

Answer 28

Between June 1947 and 1949 US holdings of atomic bombs rose from 13 to 50 Arms race cost both countries a lot Funding for the arms race became a political bone of contention whenever it came up for debate

Question 29

The armed services in the Cold War

Answer 29

Creation of a large, permanent military force affected domestic economy Military cost money to run Also provided jobs Existence of this army, arms race and Cold War created a democratic/ republican divide but also a doves/ hawks divide

Question 30

Impact of the Cold War on presidency

Answer 30

Power of the president to go to war or make treaties grew 1947 National Security Act: -Size of armed forces greatly enlarged -Central Intelligence Agency President had power to react at once to threat Truman made treaties to place permanent US bases in other countries without consulting congress

Question 31

Impact of the Korean War on domestic economy

Answer 31

Emphasised the way the Cold War shifted presidential attention away from domestic policy and towards international policy Pres. Had more freedom to act alone in foreign affairs New Deal changed expectations about govt involvement in social welfare- Cold War involved in world affairs Domestic affairs more in hands of congress

Question 32

Korean War effect on congress

Answer 32

Republicans didn't want cooperative congress Criticism of the war costing the US Truman's administration did raise taxes Every govt since has had problems balancing the tax/ burrowing contribution

Question 33

Korean War impacts on presidency

Answer 33

Marked a shift in the way media dealt with presidency Truman made mistake of holding back as didn't want to stir anti communist feeling Media took info from other sources, more critical/ pure speculation

Question 34

Truman and 'limited war'

Answer 34

Hard to regain support after mishandling with media Sacked General McCarther and had little support Korean War saw the beginnings of disillusionment with govt as the govt were viewed as noncooperative and unfair

Question 35

Impact of the Vietnam war on domestic policy

Answer 35

``` Defence budget concerns Rising inflation of the period Loss of credibility for govt Unpopular policies such as draft (symbolic for men to burn draft cards) Draft dodging became more common ```

Question 36

Who protested against the war?

Answer 36

Mutual distrust grew between officials (eg police) and groups in society (eg demonstrators) All protested against the war Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) Shabby way many veterans were treated when they returned home, often with disabilities or stress related illness Many faced abuse for the atrocities they read about and saw on television

Question 37

Role of the media in the Vietnam war

Answer 37

Coverage was intensive- begun as reports from WH or press officers in Vietnam, yet begun to see war up close and increasingly reported shocking stories Media shocked by ethos prevailing in Vietnam Opponents were 'just gooks'

Question 38

Events of Vietnam

Answer 38

Massacre of Mai Lai village Rewarding soldiers with ice cream and beer if their mission had a high kill count 1968 Tet offensive released scathing criticism of how war was being run

Question 39

Impact of the Vietnam war on presidency

Answer 39

Cast a shadow over four presidencies and drove successors into unpopular domestic policies Protests against the war in LBJ presidency 'hey! Hey! LBJ' Became increasingly difficult to end war without endangering many South Vietnamese 'Planned withdrawal', showed footage of helicopter taking out US citizens and some South Vietnamese, leaving many more behind, mainly north Looked critically and felt they had fought a 'dirty' war

Question 40

Key 1968 events that damaged confidence in the govt

Answer 40

``` Tet offensive MLK assassinated University of Cambodia protests Robert Kennedy assassinated LBJ is forced to raise taxes Use of police violence ```