Political environment 60-70

Question 1

What kind of leadership did Kennedy have? How did he handle Congress

Answer 1

• Idealistic and vigorous leadership
• progressive
• Worked very well with Congress

Question 2

Example of JFK handling a situation badly

Answer 2

1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion, that was ultimately a disaster

Question 3

How was the media involved in the Vietnam War

Answer 3

• Coverage was intensive, reported events in the White House and Vietnam
• Increasingly shocking stories of the war

Question 4

Examples of shocking stories in the Vietnam War (1/2)

Answer 4

• Massacre of civilians at Mai Lai
• use of the Toxic defoliant Agent Orange on villages

Question 5

How did the Vietnam War impact the economy (4)

Answer 5

• led to tax rises
• balance of payments deficit
• inflation
• cost $120 billion between the years 1965-73

Question 6

Ways in which Vietnam divided society

Answer 6

• Sharpened class and racial antagonism
• class disparities, with wealthier men able to go to college to avoid conscription

Question 7

What did the New Frontier emphasise

Answer 7

• ‘Public interest’ rather that ‘the private comfort’, offer a better version of the American Dream
• depicted the Eisenhower era as one of selfish complacency

Question 8

Example of Kennedy success in his leadership

Answer 8

PEACE CORPS- programme in which young Americans travelled to less developed countries to give educational/technological aid

Question 9

What kind of leader was LBJ

Answer 9

Senate Majority Leader, most successful legislative master ever

Question 10

What was the Great Society Programme

Answer 10

-LBJ wanted to create an American society free from poverty and racism

Question 11

How did LBJ use the mood of the American People to obtain anti-poverty and civil rights legislation

Answer 11

• JFK’s death generated a feeling that there should be some legislative tribute and America must somehow change and improve.
• Introduced new bills with emotive reference to JFK

Question 12

How did different people react to Johnson’s involvement in Vietnam

Answer 12

• Divided his administration and the nation:
• Right-wingers in Congress/military blamed Johnson for not escalating enough, whilst anti-wat protestors accused him of escalating too much

Question 13

When was the first Anti-Vietnam War protest?

Answer 13

NYC in 1964

Question 14

What was the SDS and what helped mobilise nationwide student protests?

Answer 14

Students for a Democratic Society. By 1968, 100,000 people joined the organisation
-The Berkeley Free Speech movement in 1964

Question 15

Example of a revolutionary group and what did it advocate for?

Answer 15

The Weathermen, formed in 1969.

Advocated for armed struggle to overthrow the government. Responsible for a number of bombings in the late 60s and 70s

Question 16

When was the first SDS rally + how many people attended

Answer 16

1965, with 25,000 people attending

Question 17

When was a teach in for Vietnam

Answer 17

-1969, involved millions of Americans

Question 18

Example of a counterculture movement

Answer 18

Hippies had liberal beliefs and rejected society’s emphasis on individualism

Question 19

What was the effectiveness of protests (4)

Answer 19

• Anti-War protests MIGHTV’E contributed to the retreat in Vietnam
• Hippies raised awareness to different religions and environmentalism, more liberal attitudes towards sex and drugs
• Feminists, increased awareness of women’s rights
• Civil rights movement, dramatic improvements

Question 20

JFK’s increased political power (2)

Answer 20

1963- agreed to a hotline to facilitate direct communication between the Kremlin and the Whitehouse
never kept Congress fully informed about the Cuban missile crisis

Question 21

LBJ’s domestic reforms

Answer 21

• Great Society Programme 1965
• War on Poverty

Question 22

Cost of Vietnam (3)

Answer 22

• Increased the government deficit from $1.6 billion in 1965 to $25.3 billion in 1968
• Tax rises and inflation
• caused a gold crisis

Question 23

Cost of Vietnam and Great Society programme by 1973

Answer 23

Between 1965 and 1973
- $15.5 billion on Great Society
- $120 billion on Vietnam

Question 24

Why did Nixon win the 1968 election

Answer 24

• Democrat divisions over Vietnam
• Many Americans disillusioned with countless protests and riots
• turned to Nixon to restore ‘law and order’