The changing political environment 1917-80 Flashcards
What did Harding promise?
A return to normalcy and ‘less government in business and more business in government’
What is normalcy under Harding?
Steadiness, reducing tax, balancing the budget, tariffs and nationwide radio (laissez faire)
What did the 1921 and 1924 Emergency Quota Acts do?
Reduce immigration to 357,000 a year, then 150,000 in 1924 with quotas from different countries base on their percentage population in the USA
What 3 major isolationist things did Congress do 17-40?
Reject League of Nations, pass the Fordney McCumber Tariff Act of 1922 and the Neutrality Acts (for foreign aid)
Example of interventionism in 20s?
Washington Conference 1921-22 which set a limit on navies
What was Wilsons style of Presidency?
Took a big part in government decision making, writing bill and introducing them to Congress personally, almost breaking separation of powers in House
What was Coolidge’s style of Presidency?
Let Congress do what it wants, be dignified and moral and do as little as possible
What occurred in 1919 by workers that started the Red Scare?
Strikes, first in Seattle dock workers and by the end of the year, 1 in 4 had been on strike
What direct action in 1919 caused the Red Scare?
Bombing threats and Palmer raids. Also anarchist and communist pamphlets moved around the country
What 6 things affected the US political landscape from 1917-1933?
First Red Scare, Rugged Individualism, Great Depression, Decline of Republicanism, Bonus Army and a changing mood
What was Hoover’s general philosophy surrounding the Great Depression?
The 1919 depression sorted itself out, so this one should as well
What did Hoover do about the Great Depression which was not enough?
President’s Emergency Committee for Unemployment in 1930 which was overwhelmed and Reconstruction Finance Cooperation in 1932 - $300 million only
What did Hoover do during the Depression which was bad?
1930 Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act and also tried to push through large spending programmes in Congress, unpopular as they lead to debt
How many Bonus Marchers were there, and how many died?
43,000 marchers and 2 deaths, including a baby due to the gas
What happened in 1931 showing a swing to Democrats?
They took control of the House and made gains in the Senate
How did Roosevelt change the role of the executive?
People’s welfare came under government jurisdiction. Also, states lost some power due to programmes like TVA, increased size of executive, more federal boards
What was the NRA?
National Recovery Administration enforced working hours and minimum wage, blue eagle scheme
How did Roosevelt expand the executive?
He set up the Executive Office of the White House and also used executive orders more
How did Roosevelt treat the media?
He held off the record chats with certain reporters, giving them so on the record info and making them feel listened to and in the swing of things
What did the SC do in 1935?
Rule NRA and AAA as unconstitutional in Sick Chickens Case 1935 and US v Butler 1936
What was Roosevelt do about the SC?
Said he’d add an extra judge for every over 70 on the bench (6/9) and pack it with Democrats
How did the presidency not change under Roosevelt?
Separation of powers still existed, SC held up states rights, Congress still passed most laws and media affected president’s effectiveness
How did Roosevelt change the role of the Presidency?
More relations with media, stronger connection with the people, more active President
What changes did Roosevelt make to the USA before entering WW2?
Started gearing up economy toward war, under the veil of helping the allies; cash and carry deals with UK
What was passed in March 1941?
Lead-Lease Act which allowed USA to lend UK supplies to return after war
What was the value of industry profits in 1940 and then in 1943?
$17 million to $28 million
Truman: Personality
Not charismatic or confident, mistakes under pressure, ‘to err is Truman’
Truman: Media
Worked with media well, flipcharts on economy but less well communicated with Korean War
Truman: Public
Worked poorly, little appeal, poor public speaker (either wooden or with mistakes)
Truman: Organisational ability
Worked well within administration, some poor choices
Truman:Congress
Worked poorly, little contact with Congress, Reps in control in 1946 made passing bills tricky
Ike: Personality
Optimism, friendly
Ike:Media
Worked with media but sometimes failed ie USSR first into space, missile gap issue
Ike: Public
Good speeches ie Domino effect
Ike:Organisation ability
Exceptional organisation, lots of briefing and good debate in meetings
Ike: Congress
Worked well with Congress, good persuasive skills even if only first quarter had Rep Congress
JFK: Personality
Worked hard on speeches, good presentation, saw importance of charm
JFK: Media
Worked very well, knew reporters names and also TV with ‘presidential family’ publicity
JFK: Public
Good manner, accessible, attractive
JFK: Organisational Ability
Poor, no regular briefings, advisors competed, Robert Kennedy and Theodore Sorensen did much of work, failures due to this with Bay of Pigs
JFK: Congress
Good at bargaining, good family connections helped at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue
LBJ: Personality
Understood how to win people over, could change his style to get what he wanted
LBJ: Media
Awkward relationship, but kept them informed
LBJ: Public
Some good speeches (voting rights) while some were poor, didn’t like big groups like JFK did
LBJ: Organisational ability
Kept Kennedy’s system but better organisation with blocking bills before they reached Congress
LBJ: Congress
Master as he had been in both houses and been Senate Leader and Whip before
Nixon: Personality
Clever but suspicious, hated people disagreeing with him and could backtrack sometimes
Nixon: Media
Distrusted media, lead to Watergate issues
Nixon: Public
Not good with people but tried to improve it, awkward and insincere
Nixon: Organisational Ability
Reinstated regular meetings and briefings with staff, couldn’t take advice
Nixon: Congress
Suspicious of Congress and had little connections, worked poorly
What 3 general themes changed the US political landscape between 1945-1970?
Second Red Scare, Liberalism/Hippies and Conservative reactionaries
What was set up in 1938 and in 1947?
HUAC and then Loyalty Boards for new federal employees
Which 2 things occurred in 1949 to stoke the Red Scare?
USSR held it’s first nuclear weapons test, and China turned communist
What occurred because of China turning red?
China Lobby in Congress got annoyed with lack of support of Kai-Shek by Truman, fears justified by the Korean War
How many Communists were on McCarthy’s list?
205 at first, then 67 then next day, then 81 in a Senate hearing
What action was taken after McCarthy’s list was announced?
Setting up of Tydings Committee
What caused the death of McCarthy?
Attacks on army in 1954 followed by Senate censure
What caused a rebirth of liberalism?
The election of JFK
Examples of Liberalism in politics?
Donald Peterson at DNC held a 2,000 person march against police brutality in 1968 in Chicago, also Civil/Voting Rights Act
Example of Hippies?
1969 Woodstock Festival, dope, sex, peace and a simple life
What did the SDS do in 1962?
Port Huron statement calling for equality and a denouncement of conventional politics
What occurred in Berkeley in 1964?
The Free Speech Movement with protests and sit-ins for Civil Rights
2 examples of violence in student protests
Shooting of 4 innocents in 1970 by Ohio National Guardsman at Kent State Uni and 1970 bombing of army research base in Madison Wisconsin killing 1
What caused the conservative reaction?
Saw liberalism challenging family values and rejecting consumer culture, also people taking university for granted annoyed elders
What was the effect of the conservative reaction?
Older people, and those who wished for more law and order and traditional values (even young ‘uns) voted for Nixon in ‘68 and ‘72
What is an example of the New Right?
Bill Bright and his 1967 Campus Crusade for Christ and similar evangelical right wing movements
What 2 effects did WWII have on domestic policy?
Nuclear defense programmes set up ie 1956 Interstate Act with provisions for evacuations, and hawks/doves divide on military spending (boosted economy)
What occurred on the 12th of March 1947?
Truman announced his policy of containment within the Truman doctrine
What was the Marshall Plan?
System of aid to war-torn nations so they do not fall to communism
Hod did the size of presidency increase in it;s powers during the Cold War?
President has ability to move troops around, go to war, make treaties and deploy nuclear weapons without Congress support
What was set up in 1947 to aid the President?
CIA and National Security Council
What examples are there of Congress being sidelined by government due to Cold War?
Korea, treaties to place US airbases in other nations, Berlin Airlift, Bay of Pigs
How did the President’s use of time change during the cold war?
Move from domestic policy, where they were hamstrung by government, to foreign policy
How did the cold war under Truman effect domestic policy?
14% GNP spent on defence, highest ever due to Rep Congress
What did Korea illuminate about the media and President relationship?
They needed to be treated well otherwise they’ll be negative, also could tell lies ie nuclear bomb in Korea
What occurred in government during Korea and what was the result?
Bickering between President and Congress over involvement in Korea and China (while being reported in the media) increased disillusionment of government
How was the military-size increased during Vietnam?
18-26 year olds were drafted first on 1st December 1969 into the army, game-show style
How did people avoid the draft?
WASPs got sons exempted, sent them abroad or to university, also burning of draft cards occurred and raft-dodging
Example of group rejection of Vietnam War?
Vietnam Veterans Against the War which had 30,000 members in the 60s
Example of media fighting against Vietnam war
Walter Cronkite in 1968 reporting on the Tet Offensive
How did Johnson see his popularity during Vietnam?
He lost ‘middle America’
How did the role of the President in the eyes of the public change during Vietnam and example?
More importance on foreign policy rather than domestic, as well as rejection of this idea with anti-Vietnam backlash with LBJ How many kids did you kill today?
Percentage of Americans who trusted their government in 1960 and 1974
70% down to less than 40%
How did the role of the media change after Truman to Vietnam?
After Truman mishandling of media, they worked to uncover faults of government, in particular with Vietnam
How did confidence in the presidency change due to political institutions after 1968?
Enlarged federal government sometimes took bribes, as did candidates looking for support in increasingly expensive election campaigns
When was Kent State University Massacre and how many died?
1970, 4
How did white society react sometimes 1968-80 and how did black activists react as well?
Desire for more government emphasis on middle class whites rather than poor of 60s, and black activists not seeing returns on civil rights with still discrimination and police violence
What were the character issues of Carter?
Stubborn, did not consult enough, did not look at political realities
Example showing 1920s US interest in isolationism
James Cox Democrat in 1920 ran on campaign of joining League of Nations - more interest in rising prices and industrial action
Name of teapot dome scandal individuals
Ohio Gang of Harding and Albert Fall in particular in 1923 as Interior Minister
Coolidge on government’s role
The business of America is business
Number of unemployed in December 1932
12 million
How much did Hoover increase spending by?
Nearly doubled federal expenditure
Who worked with Roosevelt in policy-making?
Brain Trust
How did the 1936 election play out?
Stirring up class hatred by Roosevelt gave him largest majority in EC in recent elections, shows desire for more reform
What happened to the Democrats in 1937?
After the Court Packing ideas of Roosevelt, they saw him as dictatorial and lost unity
What does the 1944 election show?
The fact he had a smaller majority shows the right was making gains
2 policies of LBJ from 1965?
Great Society and Medicare
What does the 1968 campaign show about the US?
The ‘silent majority’ and Middle America had moved to the right
Successes and failures of Nixon
De-escalation of Vietnam War and better USSR and China relations, not so good on economy
2 major impacts of Watergate
Loss of American respectability abroad, end of Imperial Presidency (within this course)
Benefits and disadvantages of Ford
‘I guess we’ve healed America’ on July 4th 1976, but gaffes and falls and pardoning Nixon wasn’t great
Percentage of people who thought Carter and Nixon lacked a presidential air, and turnout in 1976
75% and 54%
4 issues for Carter which lost confidence
Poor economy with negative balance of trade, USSR success in Cold War, Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979 and brother Billy receiving a ‘loan’ from the Libyan government
2 things Hoover did to help people
Federal Farm Board set up and $2.7bn deficit
Number of major bills passed by Congress in FDR 100 days
15
4 things created by FDR in more wide ranging Second New Deal
Works Progress Administration, Social Security Act, Wealth Tax and National Labour Relations Act
4 reasons why the New Deal wasn’t revolutionary
Still capitalism, no wealth redistribution, FDR dislike of deficit, and similar policies to Hoover/Wilson
Number killed in 1919 anarchist attack on Wall Street
38
3 reactions to anarchists in 1919/20
Congress expelled socialist members, 32 states banned syndicalist movements, 9,000 arrests and 500 deported
Nixon in 1952 election
Worked to gain McCarthy vote onside as Ike didn’t like him
How was 1945-54 the age of fear?
Conservatives feared commies, liberals feared the government/loss of job
Location of hippy town and number of Woodstock revelers
SF Haight-Ashbury and 400,000
3 protests faced by Nixon
October-November 1969 huge anti-war protests, and in 1970 on university campus’s with Cambodia, as well as Black Panthers
3 fix’s of Nixon
Withdraw Vietnam troops, FBI surveillance, threat to end scholarships and loans to protesting students
2 examples of religious right
1967 National Right to Life Committee set up, and 5 million new evangelical voters in 1980
What were Wilson’s 14 points?
A plan to make a ‘world safe for democracy’ after WWII
Reason for isolationism in 1920s
Idea that arms manufacturers and bankers had persuaded US to join war
Detail of Neutrality Acts
1935 - embargo on all belligerents, the in 1936 ban on loan, partly repealed in 1940 for cash and carry (40 old ships for naval bases)
3 build-ups to war for US
December 1940 ‘arsenal of democracy,’ 1941 $7bn lend-lease deal to Britain and German U-Boat war in Atlantic in late 1940
US economy after WWII facts
45% of world’s arms, 2/3rds of ships and 50% of world’s goods
Action of Congress under Truman Doctrine
May 1947 $400m given to save Greece and Turkey from communism
3 aims of 1947 Marshall Aid
Help Europeans, so they buy American goods, and so they don’t fall to communism
1948 election shows views of electorate in what terms
Support for stopping USSR, not appeasement like in 30s
Actions from September 1948
Berlin Airlift, 13,000 tons of goods a day until May 1949
What was formed in April 1949?
NATO
Number of dead in Korea and Vietnam
33,000 and 56,000 US dead
Number of anti-war protests in early 1968
221
1972 number of troops stationed in Vietnam
40,000, less than 10% from 4 years ago
Nixon decision to take US out of Vietnam was when?
1973, only enacted in 1975
Why did the Supreme Court stay at 9?
A switch in time saved nine, Owen Roberts on SC started to support government intervention in business with West Coast Hotel v Parrish 1937
