Kennedy's new frontier? Flashcards
(11 cards)
What did Kennedy suggest in his July 1960 speech accepting the Democratic nomination for the Presidency, and how was this a contrast to Eisenhower’s policies?
In his speech accepting the democratic nomination for presidency, he states that in the New Frontier of the new decades, Americans should meet new challenges in science, space, international changes, ignorance, prejudice, poverty and surplus. Eisenhower, a republican, disliked federal government interventions. He believed the new deal (FDR combat to great depression, welfare to poverty and unemployed) and fair deal made people too dependant on the state. Kennedy’s campaign emphasized dynamism in contrast to complacency and stagnation under Eisenhower. His slogan was ‘Let’s get this country moving again’
- What did Kennedy ask Congress for in his New Frontier legislative programme?
In his new frontier speech, he had spoken about the challenges of poverty and ignorance. He said how in a new frontier legislative programme (that leading republican senator Everett Dirksen described as New deal out of a warming oven), Kennedy asked the congress for legislation on several issues:
. A new department of urban affairs and housing to halt the deterioration of urban areas (70 percent of Americans in) and to ensure housing for all segments of the population.
. Schemes to help unemployed.
. A rise in minimum wage
. Federal financial aid to education
. Health insurance for the elderly (medical bills were a major cause of poverty amongst senior citizens)
. Tax cuts to stimulate economy
How successful were Kennedy’s attempts to tackle unemployment, underemployment and an unskilled workforce?
In contrast to Eisenhower, who vetoed legislation in depressed areas, Kennedy encouraged congress to pass measures to help with unemployment, underemployment and new skills for workers.
The area redevelopment act of 1961 granted 394 million to extend employment opportunities in states such as West Virginia.
It created 26000 jobs and training programmes that benefits 15000 people. However, 5 million people still unemployed across the nation.
Also the congress refused to re authorise the act in 1963 because Republicans hated the focused on key democratic districts and southern democrats were mad at Kennedy over the civil rights.
List FIVE other measures that Kennedy introduced to help poor Americans:
. Social security amendments act in 1961, benefits for elderly and disabled expanded.
. Minimum wage act raised the minimum wage from1 dollars to 1.25 and covered 3.6 million workers. However half a million of poorest remained uncovered including 150,000 mostly black laundry women.
. National highway system was extended, providing jobs to construction industry.
. Food and Agriculture act in 1962 gave federal subsidies to farmers but rural poverty did still persist.
. In the Omnibus housing act on 1961, congress granted 5 billion dollars for the extension of existing programmes like urban renewal and public housing. It authorised low interest loans for struggling families. Congress aimed to get USA out of recession rather than help poor.
- List FIVE ways that Congress obstructed Kennedy’s New Frontier programme:
. Did not support the federal; financial aid for elementary and secondary education rejected in 1961).
. Rejected senior citizen health care to alleviate elderly poverty due to high medical bills in 1963.
,Rejected a department for urban affairs and housing to halt urban decline REPEATEDLY THROUGH 1961-1962
. Rejected tax cuts to stimulate economy in 1963.
. Rejected a civil rights bill to end the Jim crow laws (was stuck in congress while he died)
Why, and for what reasons, do most historians consider Kennedy’s legislative record an overall failure?
Because congress was dominated by Republicans and conservative southern democrats who opposed federal expenditure and intervention in the health sector.
Congressmen representing rural areas and small cities opposed expenditure on big cities and southerners rejected to assist black ghettos.
Kennedy disliked the congressional bargaining Lyndon B. Johnson was good at it. He feared comparisons and did not use his expertise. He relied on inexperience’s aides instead.
The us backed invasion of communist Cuba (Cuban missile crisis) confirmed Kennedy belief that national security took priority over social and economic reforms.
- What was the purpose of the Peace Corps, in Kennedy’s view?
Kennedy’s Peace Corps was a central part of his “New Frontier” vision, aiming to promote peace and friendship by sending young American volunteers to developing countries to assist with education, healthcare, and agriculture. The Peace Corps represented an attempt to win hearts and minds during the Cold War by showcasing American ideals of democracy and aid, rather than military force. Kennedy viewed this as part of his broader strategy to enhance U.S. global influence, especially in Third World countries where the U.S. was competing with the Soviet Union for influence.
- How successful do you think Kennedy’s Peace Corps programme was?
The Peace Corps program was successful. Rough training program with 22% failed. The program sent over 5,000 volunteers to 44 countries by the time Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, helping to foster goodwill toward the U.S. in various parts of the world. The Peace Corps is remembered as one of Kennedy’s most enduring legacies. The program’s success was also due to its ability to engage young Americans in the fight against poverty and illiteracy while strengthening the image of the U.S. as a benevolent global leader. Also, still around today.
- Why did Kennedy want to reignite America’s role in the Cold War ‘space race’ in May 1961?
Kennedy was eager to reignite America’s role in the space race because the USSR had already achieved significant milestones, such as sending Yuri Gagarin in 1961 and sputnik 1957, which was seen as a major blow to U.S. technological prestige. This event sparked concerns that the Soviet Union was gaining an edge in terms of scientific achievements, especially as the Cold War was deeply rooted in demonstrating ideological and technological superiority. Kennedy made a historic speech in May 1961, announcing the U.S. ambition to land a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. He framed space exploration as vital to maintaining the U.S.’s competitive edge against the Soviet Union in the Cold War. It was a direct response to Soviet advancements and a bold claim to restore American leadership in global technological and ideological supremacy.
- How far was Kennedy successful in winning Americans’ support for his space projects?
The space program, despite its high costs, began to win significant public support over time. Initially, there was skepticism due to the enormous financial investment required.
Key events, such as the successful mission of Alan Shepard, the first American in space, and John Glenn’s orbit around the Earth, played crucial roles in galvanizing national support for NASA and the space program. These achievements gave Americans a sense of pride and restored confidence that they could compete with the Soviet Union. Kennedy’s framing of the space race as an essential component of national security and Cold War superiority helped rally both public and political support. By emphasizing the importance of surpassing Soviet achievements in space, Kennedy managed to align the space race with broader Cold War concerns, which resonated with the American public, especially after these early space successes. 1969, man on the moon but 40 billion $$$$ at what cost???
Why was Kennedy’s administration increasingly concerned with the environment, and how did they respond?
Kennedy’s administration became more concerned with environmental issues due to the rising awareness of the negative impacts of industrialization and pesticide use, most notably highlighted by the publication of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson in 1962.
The book exposed the dangers of pesticides like DDT, raising alarm about their long-term effects on both human health and the environment. In response to these growing concerns, Kennedy’s administration expanded the National Park Service and supported other conservation efforts to address environmental degradation.
Although the steps taken by his administration were modest compared to later environmental reforms, the text points out that Kennedy’s efforts marked the beginning of federal attention toward the environment. His policies reflected a newfound awareness of the need to protect natural resources and address ecological threats.
