Unit 9 Lesson 4: The Presidencies of Kennedy and Johnson Flashcards
In his acceptance speech for the Democratic presidential nomination, John Fitzgerald Kennedy envisioned a “New Frontier” for the country. What does that mean
His vision was characterized by the social and economic freedoms established by Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, propelled by a younger, more energetic administration.
Kennedy won the 1960 election and became the nation’s 35th president. What was his relationship with congress
But his narrow margin of victory and lack of firm support from members of his own party made achieving some of his domestic policy goals difficult.
The Kenndy’s administration main achievements came primarily in poverty relief and care for the disabled.
With Kennedy’s involvement, Congress expanded unemployment benefits, tested a food stamp program, and expanded the school lunch program to cover more students.
Encouraged by Congress’s passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1960, Kennedy focused on the passage of a bill proposing a constitutional amendment outlawing poll taxes. What did this become
this bill became the Twenty-Fourth Amendment, proposed in 1962 and fully ratified in 1964.
Why was Kennedy cautious in assisting African Americans in their fight for full citizenship rights.
Lacking strong support in Congress, Kennedy was cautious in assisting African Americans in their fight for full citizenship rights. He did, however, work on securing the voting rights of African Americans.
What did Kenndey do in hope of gaining allies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America
In hope of gaining allies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the federal government increased efforts to secure the civil rights of African Americans in the 1960s
Why did Kennedy focus narrowly on African American voting rights rather than proposing even broader legislation to cover more civil rights issues?
Kennedy did not have strong support in Congress, even from fellow Democrats, so he had to be careful choosing which policies to push and how far he should push them.
Kennedy focused most of his energies on foreign policy, an area in which he had great interest. He had promised in his inaugural address to protect the interests of the “free world.” What was his main goal
Although he engaged in Cold War politics, his desire was to promote the strength of American ideals rather than threaten to use American power.
What did Kennedy do that increased support for public mental health services
In October 1963, Congress passed the Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act, which increased support for public mental health services.
One way Kennedy worked to counter Soviet influence in the developing world was by initiating the Alliance for Progress. Whats that
This program sought to collaborate with the governments of Latin American countries to promote economic growth and social stability. The goal was to prevent the citizens of these nations from turning to communism.
Why did Kennedy establish the U.S. Agency for International Development
Kennedy also established the U.S. Agency for International Development to oversee foreign aid.
Kenndey founded the Peace crops. Who were the peace crops and what did they do
The Peace Corps recruited idealistic young people to work on humanitarian projects in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Why did Kenndey start the peace crops
. Kennedy wanted to increase food supplies and improve health care and education in these regions. He thought that this would encourage developing nations to align themselves with the United States rather than with the Soviets or the Chinese, the two major communist powers.
The Peace Corps was an example of American
“soft power.”
Based on the information you just read, how would you define “American soft power”?
American soft power can be defined as American influence that is promoted through diplomacy, aid, and other humanitarian means. It is the opposite of military power, or “hard power.”
Describe GErmany Divsion sistuation
Despite its official name, East Germany was not democratic but communist, controlled by the Soviet Union. West Germany was a democratic nation. The United Kingdom, France, and the United States controlled West Berlin. The city of Berlin was located entirely within East Germany, but, like greater Germany, it was divided into western and eastern jurisdictions.
Ever since the Allies had divided Germany in 1949, people had been moving steadily out of East Germany looking for better job opportunities and the promise of freedom. Most of them crossed from East to West Berlin and then took trains and planes to the west. How did this affect East Germany and what was there reposne.
. East Germany was losing many of its brightest minds and most skilled professionals and laborers. The nation decided to stop this migration.
How did East GErmany stop immigration
Overnight between August 12 and 13, 1961, East German workers in Berlin hastily constructed a wall; The Berlin Wall
According to Kennedy, what does the wall indicate about communism?
The wall indicates that communism is a failed system.
Aid projects such as the Peace Corps fit closely with the Kennedy administration’s military strategy of flexible response.
. The plan was to develop different strategies, tactics, and capabilities to respond more appropriately to uprisings and political or diplomatic crises.
What did popel of the bay of pigs belive america was going to do for them
After landing at the Bay of Pigs on the Cuban coast, these insurgents, the CIA believed, would lead an uprising to topple Castro’s government. The United States also promised air support for the invasion.
Castro had led the revolution that toppled U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. Castro brought communism too close for comfort for the U.S. government. What did the CIA plan/do in response to this
. Leaders tasked the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to look for a way to remove Castro from power. Rather than stage an open U.S. military invasion, the CIA instead trained a small force of Cuban exiles to sneak in and persuade the Cuban people to do the job
. In 1962, the Soviet Union sent troops and warships to Cuba to help strengthen the island’s defenses against U.S. aggression. On October 14, U.S. spy planes confirmed the presence of long-range ballistic missile sites in Cuba. How did Kennedy respond
Kennedy deployed a naval quarantine of Cuba, with U.S. warships surrounding the island. If the Soviets tried to break the quarantine, it would mean war. For the next 13 days, the world remained on the brink of nuclear conflict
Outcome of the pay of pigs invasion
This made it easy for Castro’s army to defeat the insurgents before they could carry out their mission. The hoped-for uprising of the Cuban people failed, and that failure had dire consequences.
The Bay of Pigs invasion was a major foreign policy test for President Kennedy.
On April 17, 1961, about 1,400 Cuban exiles stormed ashore under cover of darkness. Why did Kenndey fumble the bag
But Kennedy was worried this plan would draw criticism from home and abroad, and he feared a possible Soviet retaliation. So he cancelled the promised air support
How did the Cuban Missle Crisis come to an end
To everyone’s relief, war was averted when the Soviets agreed to remove their missiles in exchange for a U.S. promise not to invade Cuba. The United States also agreed to remove its missiles from Turkey.
On November 21, 1963, he accompanied Lyndon Baines Johnson, his vice president, to Texas to rally his supporters. What happened here
President John F Kennedy was shot
Following Kennedy’s assassination, Lyndon B. Johnson, now the president, told Congress that he would accomplish the goals that Kennedy had set. In what way did he want to expand the government and was the vison of a “Great Soceity”
He wanted to expand the role of the federal government in securing economic opportunity and civil rights for all. Johnson brought to his presidency a vision of a “Great Society” in which everyone could share in the opportunities for a better life.
He considered his Great Society a continuation of
Roosevelt’s New Deal, Truman’s Fair Deal, and Kennedy’s New Frontier.
1.
In 1965, Johnson pushed Congress to pass the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. What did that do
This act provided increased federal funding to both elementary and secondary schools. It also created educational programs for disadvantaged children, intended to better prepare them for school.
To Johnson was the main cause of poverty and other soical problems in US
Johnson, a former teacher, realized that lack of education was the primary cause of poverty and other social problems in the United States. Educational reform was an important part of the society he hoped to build.
Johnson also signed legislation creating the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. What did this act do
Johnson also signed legislation creating the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, which provided funding for artists and scholars, respectively
What did the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 do
The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 created the private, not-for-profit Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helped launch the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR) in 1970.
1.
The centerpiece of Johnson’s Great Society was his
War on Poverty, dedicated to eliminating poverty in the United States.
What did the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 do
The Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 provided grants to improve city housing for the poor.
What was the Economic Opportunity Act (EOA) of 1964
Before that, the Economic Opportunity Act (EOA) of 1964 established and funded a variety of agencies and programs to assist the poor in finding jobs
Economic Opportunity Act (EOA) of 1964 established and funded a variety of agencies and programs to assist the poor in finding jobs, including the following:
- The Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO)
- The Job Corps
- The Neighborhood Youth Corps
- Operation Head Start
- Volunteer Services in America (VISTA)
- Upward Bound
- Community Action Program (CAP)
What did EOA do
The EOA also fought rural poverty by providing low-interest loans to those wishing to improve their farms or start businesses. Other legislation created jobs in Appalachia, one of the poorest regions in the United States, and brought educational and economic programs to Native American reservations.
To assist the nation’s elderly, who were among the poorest and most disadvantaged American citizens, Johnson persuaded Congress to pass the
Social Security Act of 1965
What did the Social Security Act of 1965
The act created Medicare, a program to pay the medical expenses of people older than 65.
How did the American Medical Association respond medicare
The American Medical Association opposed Medicare because members feared it would lead to the creation of a national health care system.
In 1965, the Johnson administration encouraged Congress to pass the Immigration and Nationality Act. What did this act do
. This act overturned legislation that had favored immigrants from western and northern Europe over those from eastern and southern Europe. The law also lifted restrictions on immigration from Asia. In addition, it gave preference to immigrants with family ties in the United States and immigrants with valuable skills.
How did the Immigration and Nationality Act impact mexiacans
These limits—when combined with the end of the Bracero program, which had made it legal for millions of Mexican men to enter the United States as “guest workers,” primarily in the field of agriculture—led to an increase in unauthorized immigration.
President Johnson was not the “Cold Warrior” that Kennedy had been, but he continued the foreign policy of containment. In addition to Vietnam, Johnson had to deal with several foreign policy issues.
For example, in January 1968, the USS Pueblo, an American intelligence ship, was captured by the North Koreans, who imprisoned the Pueblo’s crew. Johnson responded cautiously but still called up nearly 15,000 military reserves. He also sent the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier to the region. In spite of these moves, diplomacy, not military strength, secured the crew’s release. After U.S. officials admitted that the Pueblo had violated North Korean territory and issued a formal apology, the North Koreans freed the Pueblo crew. They had been imprisoned for 11 months.
Johnson in the middle east
The Johnson administration also helped calm tensions in the Middle East following the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Johnson met with Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin to prevent a possible nuclear crisis by clarifying U.S. and Soviet interests in the region.
What was the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
In 1968, Johnson brought the United States into the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. This agreement outlawed countries with nuclear capabilities from providing nuclear weapons to other nations or helping them develop nuclear capabilities.
How did Immigration and Nationality Act impact the wasern hempisre
Although hemisphere quotas were eliminated in the following decade, while in place, they imposed limits on immigrants from the western hemisphere, including Mexico.
Johnson also reached agreement with the Soviets on several nuclear arms treaties. What was the the Outer Space Treaty in January 1967
The United States and the Soviet Union signed the Outer Space Treaty in January 1967. This treaty banned the two countries from putting nuclear weapons in space.
Impact of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty in 1968
Since the ratification of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty in 1968, the number of deployed nuclear weapons has decreased. However, four countries that are not part of the treaty—Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea—have developed nuclear weapons.
Then, in 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to be launched into space and successfully orbit Earth. How did US repsond
n response, President Kennedy urged Congress to not only put a man into space but also land an American on the moon—by the end of the decade. This challenge threw the space race into overdrive.
Massive government investment in space flight resulted in numerous profitable spin-offs for the aviation and communication industries. Give an exmaple
For example, NASA launched Telstar 1 into orbit in July 1962. This was the world’s first communications satellite. Using Telstar, engineers were able to make the first transatlantic television transmission.
Impact of the space race on common citzesns . Waht was the sunbelt
The enormous effort also created a growing middle class of government workers, engineers, and defense contractors throughout the nation, but especially in California, Texas, and Florida. This region came to be known as the Sun Belt. It became a symbol of American technological power, and it attracted many Americans seeking work and a pleasant climate.
How did the space race affect the development of new American technologies?
The U.S. government poured a massive amount of money into the development of space technology. The research and engineering for this effort also resulted in improvements in aviation and communication, especially with the development and launch of communications satellites.
How did Johnson continue and add to Kennedy’s domestic policies?
Through his Great Society programs, Johnson continued Kennedy’s plans to secure economic opportunity and civil rights for all. His administration’s War on Poverty and education and immigration reforms were meant to provide opportunities for as many Americans as possible.
