The Presidential Election of 1960 (1960-1963) Flashcards
How many votes separated the two candidates in the 1960 election?
119,450
Who was JFK’s running mate?
Lyndon B Johnson, an experienced Texas Senator who strongly campaigned for him in the South
What were Kennedy’s strengths in the election?
- He was a tall, good-looking war hero
- He had 13 years of experience in Congress and 7 in the Senate
- He had strong support from the Catholics and Nothern Democrats
- He appealed to the black voters
- His father was wealthy and had connections
What is the Bible belt?
An informal term which refers to the socially conservative and protestant Southern states and parts of the Midwest
Why was JFK’s religion a weakness for him?
- His being Catholic weakened his campaign in the Bible Belt
- Two months before the election, he spoke to some protestants in Houston and promised to keep Church and State separate
- Psephologists believe that his Catholicism cost him 1.5 million votes
What were Nixon’s strengths?
- 13 years of experience in Congress and 8 years as Ike’s VP
- He was very anti-communist
- He was experienced in foreign policy
- He pledged to campaign in every state
- He had strong support from California (his home state)
What was the difference between JFK and Nixon’s time at war?
- JFK was a war hero and had rescued several of his teammates when a Japanese destroyer rammed into his ship while he was serving in the Navy. He then swam from island to island until he got help
- Nixon only worked in logistics
How did JFK portray the republicans?
He made an effort to portray Nixon and Ike as having neglected America’s defence and allowing a missile gap to form between the US and the USSR
How was Ike involved in Nixon’s campaign?
He became increasingly vocal in his support for Nixon and his involvement helped erode some of the gains JFK made in the televised debates
Why did Kennedy win the 1960 election?
- He won the black vote after he called MLK’s wife while he was imprisoned during an Atlanta sit-in (he took the black vote by 70:30)
- His success in the televised debates
How many televised debates were there?
4
Why was Kennedy so successful in the televised debates?
- He looked tan as he had been campaigning in Florida before, and his blue suit was a good contrast to the grey background
- Nixon had just been recovering from the flu due to his campaigning and got a knee injury while campaigning in North Carolina
- Nixon also looked really sweaty and his stubble was very visible
What were the results of the 1960 election?
- JFK won with 303 electoral votes (Nixon had 219) and 49.7% of the popular vote (Nixon had 49.6%)
- 62.8% of the population voted in this election
How old was JFK when he won the elections?
43 (Nixon was 47)
What were some important lines in JFK’s 1961 inaugural speech?
- ‘The torch has been passed down to a generation of new Americans’
- ‘Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country’
What was the ‘Best and Brightest’?
JFK’s “best and brightest” were a group of highly educated and talented advisers who helped shape his administration’s policies in defense, economics, and foreign affairs
Who were some people in JFK’s ‘Best and Brightest’?
- LBJ - chosen as VP after failing to win the Democratic nomination (he balanced the ticket)
- Sargent Shriver - driving force behind the Peace Corps
- Robert McNamara - head of the Department of Defense
- Dean Rusk - Secretary of State
- McGeorge Bundy - United States National Security Advisor
- Bobby Kennedy - JFK’s younger brother and Attorney General
What was JFK’s domestic policy called?
The ‘New Frontier’
How many ‘New Frontier’ bills had been passed by 1963?
35/58 that JFK had submitted for congressional approval had been passed
How did the ‘New Frontier’ impact the economy?
- A new Housing Act was introduced which created 420,000 construction jobs
- The increased minimum wage gave workers $175 million more
- $200 million was spent on extra welfare benefits that applied to 750,000 children
- $780 million was spent in increased unemployment benefits which helped three million Americans
How did the ‘New Frontier’ impact workers?
- A 1962 Executive Order was established which provided federal employees with collective bargaining rights
- The 1962 Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act established standards for working hours and safety
- A 1962 Fair Labor Standards Act was also created
How did the ‘New Frontier’ impact health?
- A Healthcare Bill for the elderly (Medicare) was created
- The Social Security Act of 1963 saw millions of children vaccinated
- The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1963 tightened federal regulations on therapeutic drugs
How did the ‘New Frontier’ impact welfare?
- Social security benefits were increased by 20%
- A School Lunch Act provided free lunches and milk for poor school kids
- A food stamp programme was launched which fed 1/4 of a million people
- The benefits system was extended to cover five million more Americans
How did the ‘New Frontier’ impact education?
- The 1963 Vocational Education Act increased vocational training
- The Educational Television Facilities Act of 1962 saw money provided to aid the use of TV in education
- The govt provided grants to construct facilities for those training to be healthcare providers ($2000 per annum was supplied for the training)
How did the ‘New Frontier’ impact housing?
- $3.19 billion was spent on JFK’s housing programme
- Urban renewal grants went up from $2 million to $4 million
- 100,000 new homes were constructed
How did the ‘New Frontier’ impact the environment?
- 1963 Clean Air Act
- National Park System was expanded
- Doubled the funding for the prevention of water pollution
How did the ‘New Frontier’ impact women’s rights?
- The Presidential Commission on the Status of Women was established in December 1961 with Eleanor Roosevelt as its chair
- The commission issued a report in 1963 titled ‘American Woman’ where they highlighted the discrimination of women in the workplace
- JFK signed the Equal Pay act in June 1963 (allowed 171,000 women to reclaim pay which amounted to $84 million over the next 10 years)
How did the ‘New Frontier’ impact civil rights?
- Civil Rights Bill introduced in 1963
- Voter Education Project launched in 1962
- Discrimination in public housing was banned
- The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was forced to desegregate interstate travel
How did the ‘New Frontier’ impact the Space Race?
- An additional $9 billion was given to NASA to get a man on the moon by the end of the ’60s
- During JFK’s presidency, around 6 astronauts were successfully put in space
Why did the ‘New Frontier’ not have as much success as the ‘New Deal’?
- There were foreign policy concerns (like in Cuba) which took up JFK’s time
- He was a first-term president
- He was a Northern Democrat and knew of the dangers of his party splitting due to civil rights (Dixiecrats)
How does JFK’s presidency tend to be remembered?
A triumph of style over substance
How do historians view Kennedy?
A ‘nearly man’
