The Presidency

Question 1

Give 3 attributes to describe Eisenhower.

Answer 1

1) Tough ‘uncle’

2) reserved

3) presidential responsibility and accountability

Question 2

How did Eisenhower feel towards war/ foreign policy ?

Answer 2

He saw the military as an instrument to his foreign policy but war as a last resort.

Question 3

What is dynamic conservatism ?

Answer 3

Preserving the New Deal legacy, while allowing Americans to be economically free through upholding traditional republican values.

Question 4

Give a quote of Eisenhower to highlight Eisenhower’s domestic program of dynamic conservatism.

Answer 4

“Conservative when it comes to money, liberal when it comes to human beings”.

Question 5

Who won the 1952 election ?

Answer 5

Eisenhower

Question 6

How many years had the democratic party been in power for before Eisenhower’s victory at the 1952 election ?

Answer 6

20

Question 7

How much of the popular vote did Eisenhower win at the 1952 election ?

Answer 7

55.2%

Question 8

How much of the electoral vote did Eisenhower secure at the 1952 election ?

Answer 8

442

Question 9

How many states did Eisenhower win at the 1952 election ?

Answer 9

39 of the 48 states

Question 10

Give a fact to show how Eisenhower had shown little interest in politics before 1948

Answer 10

He had never voted before 1948

Question 11

How were Truman and Eisenhower linked before 1952 ?

Answer 11

Truman had asked if Eisenhower wanted to be on the democrat ticket in the 1948 election with Truman as VP.

Question 12

What is the ‘ticket’ ?

Answer 12

the person nominated to run for the party

Question 13

To get on the ticket for the 1952 election, who did Eisenhower have to beat ?

Answer 13

‘Old guard’ Robert A. Taft

Question 14

What was an ‘old guard’ ?

Answer 14

A long standing member of the Republican party

Question 15

Give 2 examples of things that Eisenhower’s opponent for the Republican ticket, Robert A. Taft believed in.

Answer 15

1) isolationist

2) opposed formation of NATO

Question 16

What was Eisenhower’s slogan for the 1952 election ?

Answer 16

‘I like Ike’ (Ike being Eisenhower’s nickname)

Question 17

Who did Eisenhower choose to be his running mate for the 1952 election ?

Answer 17

Richard Nixon (39 years old)

Question 18

Why did Eisenhower choose Richard Nixon to be his running mate for the 1952 election ?

Answer 18

This is because he was known for being anti communist

Question 19

Give 2 examples of how Eisenhower’s running mate, Richard Nixon, could be considered anti communist.

Answer 19

1) led the case against Alger Hiss

2) had worked in HUAC

Question 20

What was Eisenhower’s method for campaigning for the 1952 election ? (2)

Answer 20

1) K1C2

2) 30 second television advertisements

Question 21

What did Eisenhower’s campaigning method for the 1952 election ‘K1C2’ mean ?

Answer 21

K = Korea; ending the Korean war. The Korean war was largely responsible for Truman’s approval rating being 22%.

C = corruption; attacked the perceived corruption in the Truman administration

C = communism; went hard on anti communism

Question 22

What was significant about Eisenhower’s use of 30 second TV advertisements in the 1952 election campaign ?

Answer 22

It was the 1st time TV commercials played a major role in a presidential election.

Question 23

Give one mistake that Eisenhower made during the 1952 election campaign.

Answer 23

He failed to defend former secretary of state, George C Marshall from McCarthy’s attacks.

Question 24

Why was Nixon almost a liability for Eisenhower ?

Answer 24

This is because Nixon had acquired a reputation as ‘Tricky Dicky’ and was a very cunning politician.

Question 25

Give one reason as to why Richard Nixon, Eisenhower's running mate, was labelled 'Tricky Dicky'.

Answer 25

This is because, there was an accusation that he had used $18,000 in funding for personal usage.

Question 26

How was Richard Nixon able to distract people from the accusation that he had used $18,000 in funding for personal usage during the 1952 election campaign ?

Answer 26

He made his 'Checkers speech' whereby he spoke about the family dog.

Question 27

Give one problem with Eisenhower's popularity and the winning of the 1952 election.

Answer 27

His success did not lead to many Republicans making it into congress.

Question 28

What did Eisenhower suggest to Nixon in the lead up to the 1956 election ?

Answer 28

That Nixon take on a cabinet position, instead of VP.

Question 29

How did Nixon respond to Eisenhower's suggestion in the run up to the 1956 election campaign that he take on a cabinet position instead of being VP ?

Answer 29

Nixon fought back, wanting to remain VP, especially as he wanted to run for president in 1960. Eventually, Eisenhower relented and let Nixon be VP again.

Question 30

During 1955, What did Eisenhower's approval rating in the Gallup poll range between which showed that there seemed to be little doubt about him winning the 1956 election ?

Answer 30

68 - 79

Question 31

How can it be said that Eisenhower's health was not good in 1955.

Answer 31

He suffered a heart attack in this year

Question 32

Despite Eisenhower's ill health, Eisenhower still ran for the 1956 election and ___.

Answer 32

won

Question 33

How much of the popular vote did Eisenhower win at the 1956 election ?

Answer 33

57.4%, up from 55.2% at the 1952 election

Question 34

How many states did Eisenhower win at the 1956 election ?

Answer 34

41, up from 39 at the 1952 election

Question 35

What 2 events in 1956 bolstered Eisenhower's support for reelection ?

Answer 35

1) Suez Crisis 2) Hungarian revolution

Question 36

What was the only bright spot for Democrats in the 1956 election ?

Answer 36

They retained control of congress, which they had secured in the midterm election of 1954.

Question 37

What was Eisenhower the first candidate since Zachary Taylor to do in the 1956 election ?

Answer 37

To win the presidency without having his party gain a majority of seats in either the house nor the senate.

Question 38

How in 1954, did the increased ownership of television lead to the downfall of Senator McCarthy ?

Answer 38

in 1954, Americans got a good look at McCarthy in action when he had televised hearings on communist influence in the US army

Question 39

By the end of 1954, What action did the Senate take to ensure the downfall of Senator McCarthy ?

Answer 39

In Dec 1954, the Senate voted 67-22 in favour of censuring McCarthy