Political environment 60-70 Flashcards
What kind of leadership did Kennedy have? How did he handle Congress
- Idealistic and vigorous leadership
- progressive
- Worked very well with Congress
Example of JFK handling a situation badly
1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion, that was ultimately a disaster
How was the media involved in the Vietnam War
- Coverage was intensive, reported events in the White House and Vietnam
- Increasingly shocking stories of the war
Examples of shocking stories in the Vietnam War (1/2)
- Massacre of civilians at Mai Lai
- use of the Toxic defoliant Agent Orange on villages
How did the Vietnam War impact the economy (4)
- led to tax rises
- balance of payments deficit
- inflation
- cost $120 billion between the years 1965-73
Ways in which Vietnam divided society
- Sharpened class and racial antagonism
- class disparities, with wealthier men able to go to college to avoid conscription
What did the New Frontier emphasise
- ‘Public interest’ rather that ‘the private comfort’, offer a better version of the American Dream
- depicted the Eisenhower era as one of selfish complacency
Example of Kennedy success in his leadership
PEACE CORPS- programme in which young Americans travelled to less developed countries to give educational/technological aid
What kind of leader was LBJ
Senate Majority Leader, most successful legislative master ever
What was the Great Society Programme
-LBJ wanted to create an American society free from poverty and racism
How did LBJ use the mood of the American People to obtain anti-poverty and civil rights legislation
- 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
How did different people react to Johnson’s involvement in Vietnam
- 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
When was the first Anti-Vietnam War protest?
NYC in 1964
What was the SDS and what helped mobilise nationwide student protests?
Students for a Democratic Society. By 1968, 100,000 people joined the organisation
-The Berkeley Free Speech movement in 1964
Example of a revolutionary group and what did it advocate for?
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
When was the first SDS rally + how many people attended
1965, with 25,000 people attending
When was a teach in for Vietnam
-1969, involved millions of Americans
Example of a counterculture movement
Hippies had liberal beliefs and rejected society’s emphasis on individualism
What was the effectiveness of protests (4)
- 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
JFK’s increased political power (2)
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
LBJ’s domestic reforms
- Great Society Programme 1965
- War on Poverty
Cost of Vietnam (3)
- Increased the government deficit from $1.6 billion in 1965 to $25.3 billion in 1968
- Tax rises and inflation
- caused a gold crisis
Cost of Vietnam and Great Society programme by 1973
Between 1965 and 1973
- $15.5 billion on Great Society
- $120 billion on Vietnam
Why did Nixon win the 1968 election
- Democrat divisions over Vietnam
- Many Americans disillusioned with countless protests and riots
- turned to Nixon to restore ‘law and order’
