Theme 1: The Changing Political Environment Flashcards
Impact of the first Red Scare on the politics/presidency between 1917-45
Happened 1919-20. Belief that communists and anarchists are everywhere and were responsible for America’s problems and must be rooted out -> lead to US Attorney General, Mitchell Palmer ordering raids on magazine offices, private houses, union headquarters and public meetings on any subject controversial -> New Year’s Day 6000 the Justice Department rounded up 6000 ‘aliens’ most of whom were imprisoned or expelled
BUT, Congress did refuse to pass an extreme sedition bill urged on it by Palmer
Impact of Roosevelt on politics/presidency between 1917-45
Gave fireside chats (explained in simple terms what he was to set out to achieve), ordered any letters sent to him must be answered and action must be taken and set out New Deal which included alphabet agencies to tackle unemployment (i.e. Tennesse Valley Authority [TVA] built a series of dams to control the flood waters of the Tennesse River -> meant farms could be irrigated and farmed and also generated electricity -> industry then went there -> creates jobs) -> as result of these policies the nature of presidency had changed and he had expanded the role of the president and federal government, New Deal = largest programme of federal legislation ever undertaken and for first time government had impact on daily lives of US citizens
Impact of Republicansim on politics/presidency between 1917-45
Belief in ‘rugged individualism’ - idea that people should ‘stand on their own two feet’ and that businesses should be left to organise their own affais with workers free to bargain for their wages at the workplace -> led poor conditions and employers being suspicious of trade unions (membership decreased from 5.1m to 3.6m between 1921 and 1929)
Believed in low taxation - 1925 Revenue Act reduced some taxes and abolished others, between 1924 and 1928, taxes on incomes over $1m a year were reduced from $600,000 to $200,000 -> as a result of the Republican reluctance to intervene in people’s lives, there was limited attempt of social reform
How did the 1970s economic crash reduced confidence in the Government between 1968-1980?
