changing political enviorment Flashcards
(24 cards)
Herbert Hoover
-President from 1928-1933
-“a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage”
-beloved in rugged individualism
-Blamed for hoovervilles
Republican
Wall Street crash
-Tarrifs made americans buy from america.
-overproduction meant companies were losing profits due to how cheap items were getting
-people stated panic selling after seeing mass decline of profits from businesses
The new deal
-Designed by roosevelt to win the election in 1933
- ad hoc (idea but no plan)
-consisted of alphabet agencies designed to run govt
However——
-his ideas were new and possibly dangerous, people argued he was a communist (red scare)
Emergency Banking act
(EBA)
Closed all banks on the day after his inauguration for 4 days to make sure ever bank could be checked to see if they were financially secure, if so they would be opened
-this was to restore confidence in the banks after the crash
Agricultural Adjustment Agency
(AAA)
subsidised farmers to destroy crops to boost demand to increase prices
The National Recovery Administration
(NRA)
-set up and enforced codes of practice for businesses e.g. min wage, working hours.
-public encouraged to support these businesses
-infuriated businessmen
Public Works Administration
(PWA)
set up public work programs for people who could not find jobs
Home owners loan corporation
-Bought out mortgages of 20% on houses
-Refinanced mortgages at low interest rates to stop people losing their houses
Social Security Act
(SSA)
-implementation of pensions and unemployment benefits
Wealth Tax Act
(WTA)
-introduced graduated income taxes
National Labour Relations Act
(NLRA)
legalised trade unions
Return to Normalcy
-Woodrow wilson took the US into WW1 and many thought this was a mistake (DEMOCRAT President)
-in 1921 harding was elected on a promise to return the US to normalcy
-There was a depression at the time and there was many riots and strikes
Isolationism
•shared idea of no entanglement
•introduced trade tariffs that favoured US businesses
•Emergency quota act (1921) restricted immigration to 357,000 a year
•1935-1939 congress passed neutrality acts that restricted the help the us could help countries
•new tech meant goods were cheaper to buy as it was faster to produce
Appeal of republicanism
•Wilson’s behaviour led to him being replaced by harding
•laissez-faire made people feel more comfortable
•govt not willing to control businesses
•Coolidge gave jobs to corrupt politicians causing a lack of trust
•by hoovers election it was clear the US had growing social and economic problems
Second World War
•Roosevelt was a supporter of the allies but knew he did not want to get pulled in
•Roosevelt geared USA up for war production to support allies = boosted industry
•June 1940 britain fighting alone
•December 1940 churchill tells FDR he can no longer pay for war goods
•New lend lease program brought in
•after 1941 when US entered the war unemployment dropped steeply
•war boosted economy
The Second red scare
•after ww2 communism was seen as a direct threat to american life
•in 1949 the USSR tested an atomic bomb which boosted fear
•conspiracy theories began to emerge concerning key individuals like truman’s main foreign policy advisors, Dean Acheson
•High profile spy scandals
-Klaus Fuchs was convicted of selling unclear secrets 1950
-julius and ethel rosenberg executed in 1953 for passing atomic secrets to soviets
•mass hysteria ensued
A climate of fear
•The House ofUn-American activities (HUAC)
•this new approach was complemented by a more aggressive approach in shape of the Internal Security Bill (1951) or McCarran act
-All communists orgs must be registered
-No communists could be employed by defence plants
-Internment of communists was permissible in times of national emergency
•Between 1947 and 1951over 3000 govt employees were forced to resign
McCarthyism
•Joseph McCarthy a republican senator from wisconsin, used the fear of communism to reinvigorate his career
•Feb 1950 speech in west Virginia claiming that there were 205 communist spies in the state department
•never any evidence but started to gain traction
•Televised ‘Army hearings’ of 1953 attracted audiences of 20 million but exposed McCarthy as nothing but a bully
•by 1953 his supporters had deserted him and he fell into alcoholic oblivion
Anti-Communism 1954-80
•fear of communism led to significant curb on civil liberties between 1954-80
•The FBI were given special powers to investigate people and question them in front of loyalty boards or HUAC on little evidence
Liberalism
•The second red scare, along with violence against civil rights campaigners, created the conditions for the growth of Liberalism under the presidency of JFK
•Liked for his forward thinking attitude and his possession of a social conscience
Hippies
•rejected politics and adopted their own ideas
•advocated for peace, rejected traditional family and believed in sexual freedom
•freed their kids using mind altering drugs
•Woodstock festival- august 1969
-500,000 attended
Radical Student Groups
*60s saw advent of Radical Student groups such as the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society)
* The SDS issued the Port Huron Statement (1962) accusing politicians of neglecting a founding principle of the USA – that all men are created equal.
Conservative reaction to counter culture
*Fierce opposition to these radical groups, appalled by violence from student groups
*saw as attack on family values
*Election of Richard Nixon In 1968 represented victory for Conservatives
Decline in confidence in Govt 1968-80
*The Govt couldn’t avoid their impact in vietnam
*Massacres from US troops using Search and destroy tactics
*Media Exposed army scandals
*Riots ensued in 1968 after MLKs death
*Johnson escalated the war in Nam
*Watergate Scandal
