Unit Four Flashcards
What was special about the 1960 campaign?
The 1960 campaign: Nixon-Kennedy. First televised debates.
How did the 1960 campaign turn out?
Closest election of the century in the popular vote
JFK won
What did Kennedy purpose?
Kennedy proposed New Frontier reforms
What happened to Kennedy’s major bills? His minor bills?
Major bills failed in Congress, minor reforms passed
What ended the Kennedy presidency?
Assassination of JFK
What was crucial in enacting Democratic reforms.
Johnson’s congressional experience was crucial in enacting Democratic reforms.
What were the (5) major reforms that LBJ passed?
Civil rights legislation. War on poverty. Medicare (elderly), Medicaid (poor) Education reform. Tax cut.
What is referred to by the “Johnson Treatment” (2)?
LBJ was an extremely persuasive politician.
During the 1950s, he became the most powerful Senate Majority Leader in history.
How did Kennedy want to do with the Cold War?
Kennedy wanted to win the Cold War
What justified US arms build-up?
Perceived “missile gap,” Soviet lead in ICBMs, was used to justify U.S. military build-up
What was the new policy for containment?
New containment strategy: flexible response (non-atomic).
What major event occurred concerning Berlin?
Berlin crisis
Soviets tried to dismantle West Berlin, because it was a channel that the East citizens were leaving through and exploiting
Soviets built the wall.
What major event occurred concerning Cuba (US initiative)?
Bay of Pigs invasion,
Dropped US trained Cuban exiles to fight the Communist leader, with hope the citizens would join them, when this didn’t happen the exiles were killed
Kennedy’s foreign policy disaster.
What occurred in the Cuban Missile Crisis? Start? US response? Soviet response to US response? US concessions (2)?
U-2 spy planes detected Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuba, 1962.
Kennedy announced a naval blockade and demanded removal of missiles.
Khrushchev backed down.
United States promised not to invade Cuba, removed Jupiter missiles from Turkey.
What four things resulted from the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Khrushchev and Kennedy adopted more conciliatory tone.
Hot line installed.
Limited test-ban treaty signed.
Escalation of arms race.
What did Japan do to Indochina in WWII?
Japan occupied French colony Indochina beginning in 1940
Who fought the Japanese?
The Viet Minh, a revolutionary group, fought the Japanese.
Who became the Vietnamese leader?
Nationalist Communist Ho Chi Minh was Vietnamese leader.
What did Vietnam do at the end of WWII?
Vietnam declared independence in September 1945.
After Vietnam declared independence what did France do?
France reclaimed colony of Indochina.
What did Viet Minh do after France reclaimed colony?
Viet Minh went to war against France
What was the US’s initial response to the war?
U.S. announced military/economic aid for France
What ended the (first) war?
Defeat for France at Dien Bien Phu, France then surrendered
What was the treaty, and what did it say, concerning Vietnam independence (and the other areas)?
Geneva Accords, 1954: France agreed to withdraw, elections to be held after 2 years in south Vietnam (North Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos immediately released).
Who did the US put into power in South Vietnam?
CIA helped install Diem
What was Eisenhower’s approach to South Vietnam?
Eisenhower committed to build South Vietnam into bastion against communism
What occurred elections weren’t held?
Civil war in Vietnam after South refused to hold elections (believing communism would win): Vietcong/NLF (communists in the South with help from the North) fought Diem regime
What was Kennedy’s response to the Vietnam war?
Kennedy increased American aid (no longer just advisors, but also fighting soldiers)
What happened to Diem?
Diem overthrown
In concerning combat what was LBJ’s method?
LBJ continued policies of predecessors
What event sped up the US intervention in Vietnam?
What happened?
What occurred because of this?
Gulf of Tonkin Affair,
US attempt to spy, they were attacked said it to be unprovoked
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: President received power to use “all necessary measures to repel any armed attacks” against U.S. forces.
What operation was an attempt to finish the Vietnam war?
Operation Rolling Thunder, 1965-68. Attempt to defeat enemy through air failed
Who recommended escalation in the war?
What was launched, using what?
Robert McNamara
Intensive war in defense of South Vietnam, U.S. soldiers in Vietnam
What event created the conclusion that the US could not win the war?
Tet Offensive: Communist surprise attacks, 1968.
Military victory for U.S. Political/moral victory for communists (eroded support from within the US)
Why was Nixon elected?
Nixon elected on promise to end the war
What did Nixon originally do in Vietnam?
Secret invasions of Laos and Cambodia
When US support continued to decline for the war, what did Nixon do?
Gradual reduction of U.S. combat troops and increased support for ARVN (southern army)
What two events preceded a peace treaty?
Increased U.S. bombing attacks.
Hard-line peace negotiations in Paris
What caused the US’s complete withdrawal from the war?
Paris Peace Accords, 1973, led to U.S. withdrawal
What ended the war?
Who won?
Fall of Saigon
Communists
What happened to the lessons in Vietnam after the war?
What were the (2) lessons?
They affect things today
Know what you are getting into
Don’t insert yourself into a civil war
What was the main organization for students?
Who was their leader?
SDS, Students for a Democratic Society, 1962.
Leader: Tom Hayden.
What did the students write?
What did they advocate for?
Students wrote Port Huron Statement
Advocated “Participatory Democracy.”
How did the SDS grow?
SDS spread across country and grew a lot
What was another organization that mobilized students (not SDS)?
Who was their most famous member?
FSM, Free Speech Movement mobilized students.
Mario Savio
What did students attack?
Students attacked universities, establishment (said they were connected to the oppressionists)
What were the main issues?
Main issues: racism, poverty, Vietnam War
What happened to Kent State University?
The ugliest example of a anti-war protest, troops, when attempting to keep order, killed some students. Most of the public sided with the troops.
What was a more wide spread notion (affected more than just students)?
Young people rejected authority, challenged adult values
What was an important symbol for the Counterculture?
What was the most famous one?
Rock festivals became cultural happenings.
Woodstock- lots of people came, but it was orderly
Who were the two Counterculture gurus, what did they stand for?
Herbert Marcuse- free love
Timothy Leary- drugs
What is Woodstock nation?
The wish for the US to operate similarly to how the Woodstock concert went.
What was one new radical group for black radicals?
Who were two important members, what did the second one advocate for?
Nation of Islam
Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X (black power)
What old organization (for Blacks) went radical?
Who was the main member, what did he support?
SNCC
Stokely Carmichael promoted Black Power
What was a self-defense group created to protect African Americans?
Black Panthers
What two things did all Black Radical groups advocate for?
Separatism and Black nationalism
Who was an important Mexican advocate?
What did he organize?
What did this do?
Cesar Chavez
Staged protests and boycotts, organizing the United Farm Workers
Created better conditions and wages for Mexican-American migrant farm workers
What was the New Feminist movement?
Outgrowth of civil rights and other protest movements
Why did feminism reemerge?
They felt second-class in the protest movements, and trapped by mother and wifehood.
Who was an important feminist?
What did she write?
What is a famous quote from her book?
Betty Friedan
The Feminine Mystique
Home is a “comfortable concentration camp.”
What was a new feminist organization, what did they promote?
NOW, National Organization for Women, 1966, promoted equality in partnership with men
What did radical groups that split off of the feminist movement do?
Attacked men, didn’t see them as equals, but inferior.
What is the “New Left”?
Rejection of traditional liberalism and radicalism (nonpolitical)
What did the parts of the New left share (3)?
New Left shared hatred of racism, and the Vietnam war, and contempt for the establishment
What did increasing radicalization and violence result in?
Increasing radicalization and violence resulted in a conservative backlash
In the 1968 election, what was the state of the Democrats?
Democrats were divided over Vietnam
In the 1968 election, who challenged LBJ?
Eugene McCarthy challenged LBJ
In the 1968 election, what famous name entered the primaries?
Robert Kennedy entered primaries
After the Tet offensive what did LBJ do?
President Johnson withdrew after Tet Offensive
In the 1968 election, who replaced LBJ?
VP Hubert Humphrey replaced LBJ
In the 1968 election, what happened to RFK?
RFK was assassinated after winning California primary
In the 1968 election, who was the democratic candidate?
Hubert Humphrey won Democratic nomination at Chicago convention
In the 1968 election, who was the republican candidate?
Richard Nixon was the Republican candidate
In the 1968 election, who was the independent candidate?
George Wallace ran as an Independent
Who won the 1968 election?
Nixon won a close election
What happened at a democratic convention?
Protestors and candidates engaged in violence.
Who introduced, what type of approach to the Cold War?
Nixon and Kissinger introduced new, pragmatic approach to Cold War
What did Nixon move towards, when concerning the Cold War?
What was this called?
Move toward normalization of relations with Soviet Union and China.
Détente: relaxation of tensions
What policy limited nuclear weapons?
What policy reduced nuclear weapons?
SALT- Strategic Arms Limitation talks
START
In the 1972 election, who was the democratic candidate, how did he seem?
Democratic challenger George McGovern seemed too extreme
What was the ending of the 1972 election?
Nixon won in landslide
What did the 1972 election confirm?
Confirmation of conservative backlash and voter realignment
What caused Watergate?
Nixon was paranoid and developed a siege mentality
What committee was put in place by Nixon?
CREEP, Committee to Reelect the President
Who was close to Nixon, as advisors (4)?
John Mitchell, John Ehrlichman, H.R. Haldeman, John Dean
What unit did Nixon’s dirty work?
What two people were apart of it?
What did they do?
Plumbers unit
Howard Hunt and Gordon Liddy
Break-ins and phone tapping, so Nixon could get information on others
What exposed the Watergate scandal?
Break-in at Democratic headquarters in Watergate complex
What did Nixon order concerning the Watergate scandal?
Nixon ordered cover-up
What exposed Nixon’s lies?
White House tapes exposed Nixon’s lies
What two thing followed the exposure of Nixon’s lies?
Impeachment procedures in Congress.
Nixon resigned
What two main factors caused a loss of confidence in US politics?
Vietnam and Watergate
What three main factors caused a loss of confidence in the US economy?
Declining U.S. dominance in world economy.
Stagflation with nagging unemployment
Declining manufacturing sector
What foreign event caused a problem in the US economy?
US support of Israel in a Arab-Israeli war.
Arab oil embargo
Rising oil prices
What environmental occurrence caused a lack of confidence in the US?
Impending exhaustion of economic resources
What did all the negative factors in the US lead to?
Pessimistic view of capitalism and western culture
Who was appointed as president after Nixon resigned?
How did he come to be president?
What was special about this?
Gerald Ford, former Congressman from Michigan
Selected to become Vice President after Spiro Agnew resigned, Ford succeeded Nixon.
Only president who wasn’t elected to either VP or President.
What two major mistakes did Nixon make?
Pardoned Richard Nixon.
Ineffective dealing with Congress and economic issues
In the 1976 election what characterized the voters?
Voter disillusionment with politicians
In the 1976 election who was the democratic candidate?
Outsider Jimmy Carter won democratic nomination
In the 1976 election who was the republican candidate?
Ford prevailed against Reagan in Republican primaries
Who won the 1976 election?
Carter won a very close election
What two general characteristics caused the disillusionment with Carter?
Lack of direction, no coherent policies
What speech contributed to the disillusionment with Carter?
National malaise speech: “a crisis of confidence.”
He didn’t get his point across.
What two things in the Middle East contributed to the disillusionment with Carter
Improving economy suffered second oil shock,
(Middle Eastern crisis reduced production)
Iranian hostage crisis underlined American weakness
What was Carter’s Foreign Policy with Latin America?
Panama Canal Treaty
Panama received the canal zone, US kept canal
What was Carter’s Foreign Policy with the Middle East?
Camp David Accords, 1979.
Separate peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, reduced war
What was Carter’s Foreign Policy with the USSR?
Return of Cold War.
Emphasis on human rights- ruffled USSR feathers
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan- US supported non-communists
What about Reagan appealed to Americans?
Reagan’s optimism and affability appealed to Americans
What characterized the US at the time of Reagan?
Dissatisfaction with state of the country
What emphasized state’s rights?
White backlash emphasized states’ rights
What two groups rallied behind Reagan?
Who specifically led the second one, and what did they rally behind?
Religious fundamentalism, Moral Majority expanded conservative base
Jerry Falwell led Moral Majority rallied behind things like anti-gay, anti-abortion, family values
How did Reagan’s election go?
Reagan swept into White House, won by a land slide
What was Reagan’s economic principles called (2)?
What was Reagan’s view of the economy?
What did he do?
What was one of his ideas that he broke?
Reaganomics/Supply Side Economics
“Government not solution, but problem.”
Cut taxes and regulation, cut spending, create boom.
Increase military spending.
How did Reagan’s policies effect the economy (2 immediate, 2 long-term)?
Deep recession 1981/1982.
Economic recovery, 1983/1984.
Rising budget deficit,
Growing inequality in income distribution.
At first what was Reagan’s attitude with the Soviet Union?
What was the USSR called?
What idea was funded in defense against the USSR?
Growing tension with Soviet Union.
“Evil Empire”
“Star Wars.”- put missiles in space as a defensive measure
How did Reagan’s relationship with the uSSR change?
What brought about this change?
Improved relations with Soviets in second term.
Growing friendship with Soviet premier Gorbachev
What did the US do in the Iran-Contra Affair with Iran?
What did the US do in the Iran-Contra Affair with Contras?
What was the second event a violation of?
How was this resolved? (4 people mentioned in two groups)?
Arms for hostages deals with Iran.
Profits from arms sales went to Contras in Nicaragua (to fight against the Nicaraguan government they feared would become communist).
Violation of Boland Amendments.
Reagan/Bush pleaded ignorance.
Oliver North and John Poindexter took the blame.
What political changes did Reagan leave (2)?
End of the Cold War.
Conservative judicial appointments.
What economic changes did Reagan leave (3)?
Economic recovery.
Deficits and national debt.
Tax reform and deregulation.
What social change did Reagan leave?
Strong conservative movement.
What does the ERA stand for?
What was their wish?
What happened?
Equal Rights Amendment
To have “all men AND WOMEN” added to the constitution
Almost ratified but not quite
In the 1988 election who defeated whom?
George H. W. Bush defeated Michael Dukakis
In 1988, what increased the deficit?
Collapsing Savings and Loan Industry bailed out by government
In 1988, what characterized the economy (2)?
Economic recession and increasing deficit
In 1988, what (2) things were a deficit reduction attempt?
Deficit reduction attempts by raising taxes and cutting military spending
What was the state of Communism in China?
Tiananmen Square freedom demonstrations ended in violence.
What was the state of Communism in Eastern Europe?
Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe in fall of 1989.
What was the state of Communism in Germany?
Berlin Wall torn down and Germany reunified.
What was the state of Communism in the Soviet Union?
Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.
What was Bush’s response to Communism?
Cautious, but encouraging response by Bush, promoting New World Order
What caused US intervention in the Gulf?
U.S. intervened when Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990.
What operation was launched in the Gulf?
How did it fair?
Operation Desert Storm successful in short-term, but failure to remove Saddam Hussein led to future problems.
What did Bush identify the Gulf War as?
Bush identified Gulf War as step toward a world based on democracy and global free trade
What created a negative image for Bush?
Bush had accomplishments in foreign affairs, but recession and deficit exposed weaknesses.
In the 1992 election, who ran against Bush? What was their campaign promise?
(Democrat?)
(Independent?)
Clinton, a charismatic campaigner, promised to revitalize economy.
Independent Ross Perot ran on plan to cut the deficit, and opposed NAFTA
Who won the 1992 election?
Clinton won clear majority in electoral college.
What did Clinton do for the deficit (2)?
Tax increases and budget cuts reduced the deficit.
What trade organization was established?
North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, split Democrats, but passed Congress.
Created no tariffs between Canada- US- Mexico
What (2) things eroded support for Democrats?
Failed health reform and “scandals” eroded support for Democrats.
What helped Republicans (what guy specifically)?
Newt Gingrich ran on idea of a Contract with America (promise to US people to push conservativeness) and won Republicans both houses of Congress in 1994
What happened to Republicans before the 1996 election?
What did Clinton do (2)?
Republicans claimed mandate to complete Reagan Revolution, but overreached.
Clinton rebuilt his popularity by signing welfare reform (some of the Republican’s ideas) and opposing radical Republicans.
What contributed to the turn out of the 1996 election (2)
Government shutdown and harsh GOP rhetoric helped Clinton win easy reelection in 1996
What three things characterized Clinton’s approach to the world?
Clinton emphasized human rights, settling long-standing conflicts, and focused on economics.
What did Clinton do in the Middle East?
Oslo agreement brought temporary peace between Israel and Palestine.
What happened in Europe that affected the world?
What ended up happening, and why?
Break-up of Yugoslavia created most complex foreign policy crisis.
NATO bombing in Bosnia stopped “ethnic cleansing” (killing or removing an ethnic group) and Dayton Peace Accord divided Bosnia
Where did most people live by the 1990s?
By the 1990, majority of population lived in South and West.
What stimulated Immigration (from what two places especially)?
What started to become the largest minority group?
What was this new diversity called?
Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 stimulated immigration, especially from Latin America and Asia.
Latinos poised to become largest minority group.
America’s new diversity: “multiculturalism.”
What two things expanded the Black middle class?
What two things were still unfortunate about Black life?
What happened because of urban frustration?
Gains in business and education expanded Black middle class.
Disproportionately large number of African Americans in poverty; extremely high rate of imprisonment.
Continuing frustration of urban African Americans exploded in Los Angeles riots (Rodney King riots).
What damaged Clinton’s reputation?
What was one specific event that turned out to be a bad deal?
Charges of misconduct bedeviled Clinton from the day he took office.
Special prosecutor was appointed to investigate Whitewater
What eventually got Clinton impeached?
How did American’s view it?
What did the Senate do?
Clinton denied affair with Monica Lewinsky before public and grand jury.
Americans viewed episode as private matter, but Republicans proceeded with impeachment.
Clinton acquitted of charges in Senate
In the 2000 election who were the candidates and what did they:
Republican, want (2)
Democrat, want (2)
Independent (specific name), do
Republican George W. Bush called for limited government and reliance on markets.
Democrat Al Gore called for expanded federal role in education and health care.
Green Party candidate Ralph Nader pushed Gore to left
How did the 2000 election end (2)?
Extremely close election depended on disputed Florida vote.
Supreme Court ruled for Bush to end recount.
