Topic 1:Changing Political Environment (Truman-Carter) Flashcards
State the years that Truman occupied the role of the President of the USA and the reason why he left office
First term: 1945-1948
Second term: 1949-1952
In the 1952 presidential elections, Truman refuses to run despite being constitutionally entitled to another term should he be successful. This is due to the abysmally low approval rating of 22% at the end of his presidency, culminating from multiple factors such as the increase in inflation and unemployment, public upset with the handling of the Korean War and the split in the Democrat Party. Overall, this leads to a shift in popularity towards the Republican Party, with Dwight Eisenhower presiding over America’s ‘Golden Years’ following Truman’s time in office.
State the key events that occurred during Truman’s presidency
Cold War (1945-1991)
Dropping of the atomic bombs (1945)
The Second Red Scare (1947-1957)
Truman Doctrine (1947)
Marhsall Plan (1948)
Korean War (1951-1953)
State the reasons why Truman was elected and re-elected as President of the USA
Following the tragic death of Roosevelt in 1945 just after securing his fourth term in office, Truman steps up to become Executive despite having only one year of experience as Vice President up his sleeve. However, due to his no-nonsense and pragmatism, Truman succeeds when running for his first official term after making a whistle-stop tour of all 50 states in America, arguably securing his victory. He does not run in the next election due to his extreme unpopularity, statistically being one of the most disliked presidents with a 22% approval rating due to his failures in the Korean War.
State Truman’s domestic policy during his presidency
Truman proved to be a rather progressive Executive similarly to his predecessor, and was the first president to address the NAACP in 1947 in a show of solidarity for the civil rights movement. After being moved following the lynching of African Americans returning from fighting in World War Two capturing national attention, he formed the President’s Committee on Civil Rights in 1946, producing a report called ‘To Secure These Rights’ which condemned discrimination and ultimately led to the desegregation of the armed forces in Executive Order 9981 in 1948, making every soldier fighting under the American flag equal. Truman’s administration also presided over the start of the Second Red Scare, which was intensified by the Executive’s anti-Communist stance and fuelled the social climate of America at the time. Legislatively, Truman implements the ‘Fair Deal’ which emulated his Roosevelt’s successful ‘New Deal’ initiatives in an attempt to better the economy and budget. Among these new policies, Truman introduced national health insurance which made healthcare more accessible, anti-discrimination policies in hiring, anti-lynching policies, public housing, an increase in minimum wage, extensions to social security, aids to education and higher taxes for high earners.
State Truman’s foreign policy during his presidency
Truman’s staunch anti-Communist values were blatantly obvious in his foreign policies, notably in the 1947 Truman Doctrine whereby the Executive promised countries vulnerable to the spread of Communism that support would be provided to combat this. This was executed by America when $400 million was given to Greece and Turkey in an effort to prevent Communism infiltrating their respective nations; however, this gesture was abused by several countries who saw this as an opportunity to capitalise on America’s well meaning yet gullible generosity. The following year, the Marshal Plan was implemented which supplied $13.3 billion in aid to countries ‘at risk’ of this threatening ideology, which Congress supported wholeheartedly in a reflection of society’s fears of Communism. However, Stalin’s objected this on the grounds of ‘dollar imperialism’, accusing Truman and the US government of abusing their economic power to influence European affairs, which worsened tensions between America and the USSR. This was further reinforced with the Korean War where the US maintained a strong policy of detainment in an attempt to protect the capitalist system from Communism.
State Truman’s presidential ‘style’ and personality that he expressed during his presidency
Truman maintained a pragmatic, no-nonsense approach to being president and was given the fond nickname of ‘give ‘em Hell Harry’, demonstrating his work ethic and determination. Additionally, he held himself accountable for his actions whilst in office, evidenced by stating ‘the buck stops here’ in an impressive show of acceptance of the consequences he could face from his deeds. Throughout his tenure, Truman was known as an effective president who was decisive in his solution to the problems following the outcome of World War 2. Within his Cabinet, where he coined the name ’The Boss’, he maintained a strong level of organisation and sought to make the group his own by removing many of Roosevelt’s key advisors to establish his presidential style and ambitions.
State the years that Eisenhower occupied the role of the President of the USA and the reason why he left office
First term: 1953-1956
Second term: 1957-1960
Following his two successful terms as President of the USA, Eisenhowever relinquished his presidential candidacy to Vice President Richard Nixon, who was unable to compete against Democrat John F. Kennedy. An emblem of the social change occurring in America in the 1960s, Kennedy appealed to the younger generation of voters who engaged in the Counter-Culture movement as transgressed against the conformist attitudes of the ‘Golden Years’ of the previous decade.
State the key events that occurred during Eisenhower’s presidency
Cold War (1945-1991)
Second Red Scare (1947-1957)
Korean War (1951-1953)
Vietnam War (1955-1975)
Creation of the Interstate Highway System (1956)
U2 Crisis (1960)
State the reasons why Eisenhower was elected and re-elected as President of the USA
Due to Truman’s deep unpopularity with the American people, the tide swayed in the favour of Republican Dwight Eisenhower, a decorated war hero who was able to bring about the end of the Korean War. Following the surge in living standards and the consumer boom that American society experienced during the 1950s, hence its affectionate moniker of the ‘Golden Years’, Eisenhower was able to secure a second victory in the 1956 presidential election despite suffering a heart attack the previous year; however, the nation perceived his quick recovery and desire to pursue a second term in office as noble and symbolic of the country’s strength post-war. Additionally, the 1956 election featured the first televised debate between the two candidates, marking the beginning of a new era in politics as image became agruably more important than policy.
State Eisenhower’s domestic policy during his presidency
Eisenhower adopted a ‘modern Republicanism’ stance by keeping the New Deal, which was implemented by former Democrat president FDR, and extending social welfare through the increase of the minimum wage, alongside various new initiatives. He set up the Department of Health, Education and Welfare; however, the poor often received a lack of attention at times due to the overwhelming prosperity and economic stability sweeping across the nation with low unemployment rates and inflation under 2%. Eisenhower’s presidency was often referred to as ‘The Golden Years’ and is looked back on with rose-tinted glasses by the majority of American citizens as the consumer boom truly gripped the country. His commitment to creating infrastructure came to fruition in the construction of the Interstate Highway System in 1956 when 41,000 miles of highway were built, creating thousands of jobs which boosted the economy.
State Eisenhower’s foreign policy during his presidency
As a former Supreme Allied Commander during the Second World War, Eisenhower wanted to avoid war at all cost due to experiencing the horrors of it first hand, and developed the ‘New Look’ which reflected his views. The country needed to maintain a strong economy but spending was an option if it was necessary for the Cold War and nuclear weaponry was only to be used as a deterrence after the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Along with this, the CIA was relied on for covert operations and America’s allies were to be strengthened with weapons and supplies should they need it as many countries were still recovering from the economic fallout of the Second World War. The tensions between nations were eased with the Geneva Conference in 1955, which America played a large role in. Eisenhower still wanted to increase commitment with Vietnam to demonstrate America’s strength as a world power and follow through after the Truman Doctrine of 1947 and the Marshall Plan the following year. However, Eisenhower’s fumble occurred in 1960 with the humiliating U2 Crisis whereby a spy plane was shot down by Russia, which America claimed was just a weather monitoring plane. However, the pilot, Gary Powers, was interrogated and revealed that, without US knowledge, what his true mission was: spying on the USSR’s progress during the Space Race and the Arms Race.
State Eisenhower’s presidential ‘style’ and personality that he expressed during his presidency
State the years that Kennedy occupied the role of the President of the USA and the reason why he left office
State the key events that occurred during Kennedy’s presidency
State the reasons why Kennedy was elected as President of the USA
State Kennedy’s domestic policy during his presidency
