Unit 1.1 - Changing Political Environment Flashcards

Question

Why did Roosevelt win the 1932 Presidential Election?

Answer 1

- Hoovers failures during the Great Depression including through legislation and his idea of ‘rugged individualism’ caused many who’d been adversely affected to turn to the Democrats - policy including southern whites, immigrants, trade unions, African Americans etc. - Good qualities: Assistant Secretary for the Navy under Pr. Wilson; Governor of New York 1928; and his campaign led by his slogan ‘Happy Days are here again’ drove his campaign forward

Answer 2

Relief, Recovery and Reform - relieve the poor - help the economy recover - reform the economy to ensure an economic disaster wouldn’t occur again - 1933-34: created programs to help farmers and other members of society e.g. TVA, WPA, CCC and Social Security - FDIC: ensured that money in the banks was safe - TVA: provided lots of infrastructure which the USA needed for economic growth

Answer 3

Worked in 7 states Built dams, ended floods redirected electricity and guided families out of poverty

Answer 4

Helped banks, stopped them going bankrupt

Answer 5

- March 1933 - All banks closed and had to remain closed until the banks had checked them over - 5000 banks were reopened under govt guidance

Answer 6

- FDR used the radio to communicate to the public about what he was doing and reassure them during the New Deal - About 60 million tuned in every Sunday

Answer 7

- Aimed at unemployed young men - worked on environmental projects and national parks for 6 months. - Money went to the men’s families - 2.5 million men were helped - It was successful but people such as women and Black men were excluded

Answer 8

- Used govt money to build schools, roads, dams, bridges and airports = vital once the US recovered - Short term benefits = created millions of jobs

Answer 9

- Took over mortgages of many middle - income Americans who struggled to pay their mortgages so that the banks wouldn’t repossess their homes - Rescued around 20% of American homeowners - > 80% repaid the HOLC mortgage

Answer 10

- Supreme Court - Majority Republicans : against FDR and his ideas for the economy - said they were unconstitutional Roosevelt threatened to create 6 judges to outvote the Republicans to get his laws approved - Republicans - complained the New Deal was doing too much And believed the govt shouldn’t intervene with businesses and they viewed him as a dictator due to his Executive Power - Radical Politicians - Huey Long : wanted to limit personal wealth to max $3 million called ‘share our wealth Because govt. taxes weren’t shared among all Americans

Answer 11

- Didn’t benefit women e.g. CCC - Still 6 million unemployed in 1941only fully ended when USA entered WW2 - Failed to solve the underlying economic issues - Divided the USA : Roosevelt and friends were seen as Communist and undermining American values

Answer 12

- increased federal intervention in government work by setting up a separate Executive Office of the President = several departments to aid in administration - Presidential Executive Orders were used when he couldn’t rely on Congress and had to push laws through in the case of an emergency - Fireside Chats: series of radio broadcasts to explain policy revived lots of gratitude from the public - ‘’Off the Record’’ press meetings twice a week in which he told the press what was going on = all felt involved and on his side despite not being able to quote him directly on policy - 1936: Supreme Court began to view some of his programs as unconstitutional such as the NRA and the AAA

Answer 13

- increased the role of the presidency in policy and legislation - increase in federal boards and committees (New Deal policies) - increased communication with the media and the public - responsible for welfare long term: New Deal lasted 40 years - increased separation of powers - increased support for federalism: separation of National and state government due to him increasing government power = decrease in state power - likeable personality and good relations with media

Answer 14

- joining the war required steep measures e.g. mass taxation, rationing, wage and price fixing, conscription and surveillance all of which the business community resisted - 4 years before D-day the USA military was shambolic. Only 175,000 people serving on active duty = the 18th biggest in the world and still smaller than Switzerland and Bulgaria - many opposed the USAs involvement in the war and this was linked to antisemitism: many supported isolationism despite it being rather pro-Nazi and it was common amongst those who opposed Roosevelt’s domestic and foreign policy - FDR struggled greatly in the late 1930s with a failed attempt to pack the Supreme Court in 1937 followed by an unsuccessful attempt to purge conservative democrats in the 1938 primaries Furthermore many were against him campaigning for running a third term as they thought it was a sing of US totalitarianism: when he asked Congress to pass a Conscription Act in 1940 during the presidential election, the Republican rep= it was ‘the very essence of Nazism and Hitlerism’

Answer 15

Dec 7th 1941: attack on Pearl Harbour and Congress declared war on Axis powers with most Americans rallying behind - Army and Navy = 16 million men and 250,000 women - 17 million men and women worked in war production plants = gave the USA allies and fundamental war materials - Henry Kaisers shipyards ‘Liberty ships’ - 85 million citizens lent money to the government by purchasing war bonds and became holders of USAs rapidly expanding debt - in total: Americans diverted 20% of their monthly income to taxes and bonds - unlike WW1, WW2 saw no major tax revolts or protests against the expansion of the Presidents wartime powers: this was despite no effort to manipulate public opinion. Instead they promoted ‘no hysteria’ and ‘No appeal to hate or fear’

Answer 16

- Roosevelt was concluded in 1944 to run for a 4th term and that would make him a king. To the American public an king was communist - capitalism was the saviour of the US during the war due to mass employment, mass production, mass advertising, mass distribution and mass ownership of the products of the industry - however 1940 and 41 = resistance to FDR from auto companies as they expected profit no matter the production efficiency - as people realised that the USA economy became a sellers workplace they became absent and had wildcat strikes

Answer 17

• Wasn’t very charismatic or confident and overwhelmed by his sudden take over of Roosevelt • Loyal but honest and straightforward • Belonged to over 218 organisations

Answer 18

• Post WW2 tensions and struggles within Europe prompted the first televised White House speech • Most Americans lacked a TV so they made up for this by providing public spaces with televisions such as bars and provided full text version of the speech for newspapers and radio and on camera version for newsreels

Answer 19

• First president with a live TV broadcast from the White House : was to promote aid to Europe and plans for the Truman Doctrine to help Greece and Turkey due to civil unrest • However tensions grew between Truman and the US media due to his handling of the Korean War and domestic issues = bad press • Despite frustrations with the media he still managed to maintain a good working relationship as he understood the importance of communicating with the press

Answer 20

- post WW2 brought about a fear of recession so Truman aimed his economic policies towards preventing things - demobilised military from 12 to 3 million to prevent a flood of the job market = controlled unemployment post-war - adjusted prices slightly in order to reduce inflation caused by demand from veterans through it was slightly watered down by Congress - Attempted to mobilise emergency powers to disperse organised strikes after a coal strike in 1946 by 400,000 workers but it was rejected by Congress - Republican Congress managed to pass Taft-Hartley Act outlawing the closed shop and once again failed to manage labour troubles

Answer 21

- during the 1946 midterm elections = Republicans gained control of the Senate and the House of Representatives - his domestic policies such as the Fair Deal faced opposition as Congress blocked as much legislation as they possibly could - he still managed to win his second term due to many rallying support against the ‘Do-Nothing Congress’ by publicly blaming them for preventing the FairDeal - Despite initial conflicts, he was still able to gain the support of Congress through legislation such as the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan

Answer 22

• Dominated by a calm, disciplined and strategic mindset which helped him battle tensions in the cold war • He kept good relations with Congress and there was strong bipartisanship • He had a policy of ‘modern republicanism’ which was a middle ground of liberalism and conservatism

Answer 23

• He saw communication with the public as necessary for American democracy • He was the first president to hire a media consultant • He set up the first televised fireside chats and tv conferences • He also set up the first white house TV studio • He was the first presidents to do photo-ops (where photographers come to the white house to photograph the president during important events)

Answer 24

• He had very good public manner and he used clear imagery in his speeches • He clearly explained the knock-on effect of a communist takeover • Eisenhower would regularly address the public via TV for example he had ‘checkers speeches’ • He held on average 23 press conferences a year • He had a very good public image and was well liked by many Americans

Answer 25

• He was exceptionally organised • Eisenhower set up regular briefings and long-term planning sessions • He would have everyone who was concerned in to debate a decision- making sure that whatever outcome was decided was agreed by a majority of people • His organisation ability stemmed from his time in the army, and he implemented these techniques in the white house.

Answer 26

• He was very specific about how he wanted government to run under his presidency • Gave congress decision making power- meant good relations and helps to keep his good reputation • He inaugurated new offices that still exist today in the white house e.g. the chief of staff • He was very good at political bargaining so he could get congress to do what he wanted • Nominated 5 supreme court judges all of which were made members

Answer 27

Personality: • seen as optimistic and charismatic • served in US Navy during WW2 and awarded Marine Corps Medal - known for self presentation

Answer 28

• aware of media’s role in his campaign and Presidency • increased role of television as news source • first to conduct live press conferences (approx. 1 every 16 days)

Answer 29

• from political family • attractive, young, charisma was encouraging • held 64 press conferences in first 2 years of Presidency

Answer 30

• Team of advisors made up of intellectuals — no women • advisors often competing for attention therefore not carried out properly • Historians argue his governance was efficient due to the mass of his public support

Answer 31

• Supported by public + put pressure on Congress • Used executive orders when Congress stalled — efficient • Maintained close communication with military leaders e.g. Khrushchev

Answer 32

- A controversial character - Charismatic & persuasive — vision for creating a just & more equal society - Aggressive — notorious for bullying, browbeating congress to his advantage - Uncouth — pressurised colleagues and congress often - Temperamental — his moods often changed quickly

Answer 33

- Used it as a means of propaganda: promoting new policies and news - Mistrusted the media: he believed that the media was undermining public support for his administration - Frustrated: as soon as the coverage became negative, he accused the media of bias - The media provided momentum for the anti- war movement in Vietnam, dirtying his name Turbulent

Answer 34

- Johnson was known for being very persuasive and knowing who to use to persuade the public. This was known as the Johnson Treatment - As the president that signed the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 he had to be a good communicator to get both the public and congress on his side - However, many believe he was much better at communicating with and persuading congressmen and other officials one to one rather than speaking publicly - His ‘American Promise’ speech about equal voting rights became famous among Americans due to the line ‘We shall overcome’

Answer 35

- Johnson’s organisational and administrative skills were celebrated and supported by people both at the time and now - He had previous experience with organising as the Senate majority leader where he was known his his bipartisan cooperation with Eisenhower and his support for civil right bills - Johnson needed good organisational and administrative skills to get his various pieces of landmark legislation passed

Answer 36

• Nixon often went back on decisions. • He wasn’t a very loud or extroverted. • After the watergate scandal he resigned -> Americans often believe Nixon had qualities most leaders don’t possess.

Answer 37

• He was the first president to call ‘the press’ the ‘media’ = the term the press became less positive. • Within 18 months, Nixon had more airtime than his 3 predecessors did in 16 years. • He avoided reporters and intimidated journalists. • Nixon was often angry with the media. • December 1972 = “the press is the enemy... write that down on the blackboard 100 times”.

Answer 38

• November 3rd 1969 = “the silent majority” speech -> about the war on Vietnam. • Philadelphia plan = 300,000 firms by 1974 were accepting a certain number of African Americans into trade unions. • Nixon called college students ‘campus bums’ in a pentagon briefing leading to backlash. • 1969 = 28 members of the Black panther party killed when CIA undertook ‘operation chaos’ in 1967. • He wanted to focus on getting the ‘silent majority’ votes in the 1970 mid term election so incorporated things they would find appealing into his campaign. • Lots of protests against the Vietnam war in May 1970.

Answer 39

• regular meetings and briefings with the White House reintroduced. • Couldn’t take advice well. • White House was split into: office of the president, national security council, and domestic council. • Health administration established by Nixon.

Answer 40

• Nixon couldn’t get as conservative as he wanted to be due to democratic majority in congress. • Liberal laws passed to stop congress passing as many liberal laws as him. • Planned to devolve power to state and local officials. • found it hard to make personal connections with congress.

Answer 41

Tensions between the East and West powers post WW2 1945-72

Answer 42

Communism vs capitalism - the US wanted to spread their communist influence as they felt threatened by communism and the already had control over a section of Berlin - 1949 = joined NATO to strengthen western allies - due to the rapid spread of communism in Eastern Europe = Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan to stop this - the 1950 Red Scare = increased anti communism feeling and became involved in various wars e.g. Korean War, Vietnam War and Afghanistan and with communist countries like Cuba - Detante in the 1970s and improved relations with Russia and China led to a cooling of tensions - 1991 and the fall of the USSR = Cold War ended

Answer 43

- March 1947 Said that - US should assist these nations (Greece and Turkey) and face up to international responsibilities - Policy of Containment : wouldn’t eliminate communism but limit it to the countries already communist (Domino Theory) - Financial Aid to Greece and Turkey - $400million toward establishing governments and improving economy

Answer 44

- Early 1950s = FDA was set up to organise evacuations and pamphlets with advice; schools = the ‘Duck and Cover’ exercises - **1956 Interstate Act** = road network designed to allow for rapid evacuation of cities but federal/state legislative divide = national defence systems were difficult to set up - Government = advised, some states = took action and some were expected to look out for themselves

Answer 45

- had to be funded by tax due to stockpiling weapons - June 1947 - June 1948 = US holdings of atomic bombs increased from 13-50

Answer 46

- creation of large, permanent military force = cost money (via tax) and provided jobs and customers for many businesses (food,fabric etc.) = divide in politics: democrat and Republican

Answer 47

- NASA = employment - country wide pride of space race achievements

Answer 48

- Power of President to for to war or make treaties without Congress grew with NATO and the UN e.g. the Korean War by Truman - **1947 National Security Act** reorganised US military forces under a new Defence Department = overseen by the President - Nuclear weapons = threat of nuclear war = President needs the power to react immediately - NSA also created the CIA and the National Security Council which both reported directly to the White House not Congress

Answer 49

- end of WW2 and defeat of Germany = beginning of the Cold War as the USSR began a series of communist takeovers in Europe and other areas like China, Cuba and Korea

Answer 50

- the development of nuclear weapons by the USSR - media and anti communist propaganda - Congress investigations and committees - film industry investigations - Legislation - espionage

Answer 51

1950-54 - ‘Reds under the Beds’ headed the 2nd Red Scare - 1950 = anti communist speech announcing 205 names of known communists working in the State Department. The next day this number decreased to 75 - The Tydins committee was set up and confirmed his report to be full of truths and lies - vigilante groups of ‘red baiters’ hounded people at work and at home - worked with J Edgar Hoover (FBI) - slandered celebrities and government officials with alleged communist involvement - lost support in 1954 when he accused the US army (who swore an oath to protect the USA from all enemies foreign and domestic)

Answer 52

- FBI given powers to investigate people and bring them to be questioned by loyalty boards or HUAC on very little evidence as well as opening letters, tapping phones and bugging offices and homes - anti communism united democrats and republicans - behaviour = moving towards repressive communist regimes which left freedom of speech and freedom of expression severely limited - 1950s librarians removed books (Karl Marx) from their shelves - Committee on the President Danger set up in 1950 and was still around in 1976 when it was reformed - Khrushchev leader of USSR visited US in 1959 and was met with anti-communist demonstrations

Answer 53

- Nearly 5 million deaths - 5 million homeless - 35,000 US troops killed - 100,000 US troops wounded - 17,000 UN troops killed - 900,000 Chinese casualties

Answer 54

- Early press conference by Truman = stressed that is was the UN (police action) rather than the US - less attention towards domestic policies as attention on international policy took precedence - New Deal = changed expectations about the government’s involvement in social welfare - congress = more power in domestic policy + making (Republicans gained 5 seats in Senate and 28 in the House of Representatives in the 1951 elections) - Truman’s administration = increased taxes - many republicans ended co-operation in Congress with the Democrats due to disagreements with the war - taxes had to increase due to 14% of the GNP spent on defence - Republicans began to oppose Truman

Answer 55

- media dealt differently with the presidency - promised Truman support expecting the same access and information they had during Roosevelt - Truman however held back from the media (didn’t want to fuel anti communism) = media took info from other sources including other Republicans which reduced support for Truman from the public

Answer 56

- created similar budget concerns as Korean War = rising inflation - significant loss of credibility for the presidency and the government due to unpopular policies - most unpopular policy was the draft = 1st December 1969 = lottery was held to select men aged 18-26 to fight in Vietnam. This was significantly frustrating as people who were 18 couldn’t drink and in some places couldn’t even vote but they were apparently grown enough to fight in a deadly war - richer people were able to buy their way out whilst POC (esp black men) and poorer men were more vulnerable to the draft

Answer 57

- working class Americans/ people in poverty (due to higher costs) - minorities (due to vulnerability to the draft) - veterans from Vietnam = received horrendous injury due to guerrilla warfare in Vietnam. PTSD was also common amongst them - many veterans were treated badly by anti-war USA due to their contributions to the war - media coverage targeted American soldiers: photos of horrific scenes from the war including children being targeted, the Milo massacre, a monk protesting by setting himself on fire - the depiction of Vietnam civilians shows how the media was trying to illicit a human response and wanted the US public to sympathise

Answer 58

- beginning of the war: reported events in Vietnam through White House press conferences or military press offices in Vietnam - duration of the war: reporters documented the truth behind the Vietnam War, the ruthlessness and immorality if their soldiers’ actions - they viewed the Vietnamese civilians and soldiers as just ‘Gooks’ - 27th Feb 1968: Walter Cronkite returned from Vietnam as a news reader and heavily criticised the trajectory and purpose of the war which highly increased negative feelings of the public towards the war. This made Johnson admit that he’d lost the support of ‘middle America’

Answer 59

- congress didn’t want to become involved militarily with Vietnam in support of the French - Eisenhower was fearful of Communist influence in Indo-China and continued to financially support France - Geneva accords west refused signing by the US - He supported President Diem. He increased financial aid to $500 million and sent 1500 personnel to Vietnam - the emergence of communist powers (Vietcong) in Vietnam convinced him support of South Vietnam was necessary

Answer 60

- good relations with the media - inauguration speech = ‘bear any burden, support any friend and oppose any foe’ - more interested in foreign affairs: in 1963 he sent 23,000 US personnel to Vietnam - didn’t really oppose involvement in Vietnam - Congress supported the fight in Vietnam

Answer 61

- as soon as he assured office he increased the number of personnel in Vietnam by 30% - he didn’t retreat the US from Vietnam due to the domino theory and the belief that the USA must stand with the allies in Vietnam - Johnson had a greater focus on domestic policy and the ‘Great Society’ and believed that south Vietnam could be freed from communism by the US - inherited Kennedy advisors = supported the military solution to the war and overall communism in South East Asian - he opposed opposition to the war as he didn’t want to be the first president to lose a war - 1964 August = Tonkin crisis = gave Johnson the perfect reason to escalate US involvement (this was where the North Vietnamese shot at a US vessel)

Answer 62

- he wanted to end the war with ‘peace and honor’ - withdrew US troops whilst South Vietnam wouldn’t collapse to communism = failed - the south Vietnamese army felt betrayed - US troops weren’t bothered enough to fight - cost increased for the Americans - he introduced a bomb campaign of Cambodia to threaten Vietnam - 1973: Paris negotiations took place to organise the ending of the war and the future of Vietnam

Answer 63

The belief that hard work= could achieve anything and be successful

Answer 64

It can be destined as being in support of societal progression away from traditional, conservative beliefs whilst taking into consideration the welfare of the people and acting to improve the overall quality of life for citizens across the country

Answer 65

A style of living that opposes the traditional culture of the time - groups want to remake society by changing culture rather than by way of politics

Answer 66

- social and political norms, breaking away from traditional views and wanted to embrace individuality - they stood for love peace and freedom which was seen a counter-culture - they heavily influenced music like rock, folk music, electronic music etc. (e.g.the Beatles ‘White Music’ album) - hippie culture = communal living and spirituality - lasting impact on society: during Vietnam war it was counterculture that opposed mainstream society

Answer 67

- many students felt that their lives were impacted by factors outside of their control e.g. war - students for a democratic society wanted control over their lives - April 17th 1965 = SDS protested against the Vietnam War - 700-1000 students protested at Columbia University following MLKs assassination - Violent clashes with the police turned people away from the SDS and eventually fell apart due to controversy

Answer 68

- Senior citizens believed it challenged family values, rejected consumer culture, rejected the values of hard work and striving for success and rejected traditional Christian religious values and patriotism - The resort to violence led to the beef that the liberal government wasn’t working - The ‘New Right’ was a campaign that both democrats and republicans began to pursue to restore law and traditional values - Nixon himself campaigned for president wiht New Right policies and gained lots of support even from democrats - Late 1960s = religious groups held campus campaigns - Bill Bright: evangelical preacher = held lots of these campaigns on American campuses all over the USA. - In the 1970s this escalated it limiting rights and freedoms for homosexuals

Answer 69

- increased access to the media (radio and TV) and news reporters changed their views of their relationship with the president and the government - Roosevelt = media explained policies - Truman and the Korean War = mishandled the media - Kennedy v good relationship with the media - from 1968 media = their job was uncovering government deception - media stories emphasises how the government only told part of the story and kept things from the American public

Answer 70

- Watergate Scandal (1972-74) showed how the White House and Nixon were guilty of burglary and surveillance of political opponents = public confidence hit rock bottom as the media had to uncover the crime and shown how they were right in mistrusting the Nixon administration

Answer 71

- the government couldn’t avoid responsibilities for the conduct of the war in Vietnam - after Roosevelt there was an greater involvement for presidents in decision making so they couldn’t avoid responsibility for Vietnam - media exposed government mishandling = increased public opposition and decreased trust

Answer 72

- Roosevelt = increased White House staff and created bureaus that reported to the President not the Congress. The increase in presidential staff = increased reports directly to the president - staff = acted in presidents home without consulting,ting him and took bribes and deals - staffing and campaigning costs increased = more money = increased dependence on those who donated funds = unions, but businesses with both expecting added influence of their candidate won

Answer 73

- 1968-80 = all presidents contributed to a decline in confidence - JOHNSON: US troops into Vietnam with Congress approval and poor communications with the press and the public - NIXON: forced public comms with press and public - FORD: connected to Nixon and pardoned him = lost the next election - CARTER: was elected in presidential elections but was the least politically experienced = poor decisions and lack of flexibility and refused to educate himself or seek assistance

Answer 74

- news of his death led to rioting, bringing and looting and a wave of mourning across the USA - Johnson rushed to pass the Civil Rights Act and signed the Fair Housing Act - it widened the rift between Black and White Americans and many saw it as a rejection of their rigours pursuit of civil rights

Answer 75

- many through that he was the heir to MLKs legacy as he campaigned for civil rights and wanted to solve urban poverty - he was already looking like the president elect due to Johnson dropping out of the election race - he opposed the approach to the Vietnam War = gained support

Answer 76

- April 17th 1968 = protests held due to their want for increased radicalisation of students, increased opposition to the war and the racist gentrification of the gym (gym crow) - protested against the University of Columbias involvement in the Vietnam War - demonstrated the power of organised groups (formed separately from the government) = encouraged more to be reformed

Answer 77

- signed the biggest tax cut in US history = opportunity for economic progress - however = unacceptable budgetary deficit = economy was moving too fast

Answer 78

- blame fell on opposite groups depending on perspective - lack of justice all swept under the rug - police retaliated - Americans felt that Grenvilles history and significance were forgotten - blame on bot democrats and republicans