USA - Politics Flashcards
(25 cards)
What was the ‘American Dream’?
Equal right to vote.
Quality of life.
Social equality (education, health, housing).
What was the impact of WW1 on US policy?
100,000 deaths of military personnel.
Public desire to stay out of ‘European affairs’.
Fears of rise of communism and too much federal power.
What was the return to ‘normalcy’?
President Harding’s idea of returning to things before the war.
“Stable, steady way of life”.
–> Reduce taxation
–> Introduce tariffs
–> Provide countrywide radio
What is ‘isolationism’?
America focusing on itself, restricted intervention with other countries (wars).
–> Reducing number of immigrants
What ideas were under ‘republicanism’?
Laissez-faire economics.
Minimal government intervention.
No control of wages, working hours or prices.
When and what was the ‘first red scare’?
1919-20.
Russia’s monarchy was taken over by communist government which encouraged worldwide revolution.
This terrified capitalist USA people.
What was ‘rugged individualism’?
The government shouldn’t help to give homes or jobs.
Don’t interfere with businesses (working hours, pay, working conditions).
Leave bank interest rates and loans alone.
Isolation from other countries.
Restrict immigration.
What was the economic boom in the 1920s?
Decreased federal taxes in 1924-29.
Boost due to the car industry.
1929 - Americans owned 23m cars.
$5 per day for workers.
1929 - $7m worth of goods sold on credit.
The ‘roaring 20s’
Inflation below 1%.
Average weekly working hours fell 47 to 44.
Production goods rose by 50%.
GNP rose $73bn to $104bn.
What was the Wall Street Crash?
Stock prices increase.
More people bought stocks.
People lost confidence, causing them to all start selling them.
Price of stocks went down.
Banks went bankrupt as everyone bought on credit. (no way of paying back)
What and when was the Great Depression?
1929.
It was a result of the out-of-control share trading and the ‘boom’ which caused the
Wall Street Crash.
Unemployment increased rapidly, people lost their homes, banks and businesses failed.
How were Hoovers policies ineffective?
Federal Farm Board 1929 - was created to stabilise crop prices (inability to address deeper economic crisis).
Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act - raised tariffs on foreign goods (lead to decline in international trade).
How were Hoovers actions ineffective?
Bonus army 1932 - demanded early payment (army forcibly removed them).
Too little too late - loans, industries etc.
Americans were already struggling with unemployment, homelessness and hunger.
What was the decline in republicanism?
Hoovervilles - towns of homeless people.
1932 - Roosevelt offered the people a ‘New Deal’ which gained support.
People became desperate.
Glass Steagall Act 1933 - banks can’t use peoples savings for loans or investing.
How did Roosevelt change the presidency?
New Deal - relief, reform and recovery.
Alphabet Agencies - AAA, CCC, NRA.
He was confident, charming and persuasive.
Inaugural (first) speech 1933 - laid down his policies for the first few months.
Fireside chats - explained politics to the public.
What was the impact of WW2?
US took on war production, goods were supplied on a ‘cash and carry’ basis.
Employment rose.
Farmers grew more and factories produced more.
Why did the US join the war?
1941 - Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
US produced $47bn worth of war goods.
Industry profits rose from $17m in 1940 to $2 m in 1943.
Why was there a second red scare?
Many Eastern European countries occupied by the USSR had Soviet governments.
Increased fear of communist takeovers in other countries.
What happened during the second red scare?
1948 - HUAC employees found to been part of Moscow-led spy ring.
Alger Hiss trial - advisor to Roosevelt (mistrial, along with the Rosenbergs).
1949 - China became communist.
Media questioned governments actions towards fighting communism.
Who was McCarthy and how did he worsen the second red scare?
1950 - announced he knew 205 known communists (changed to 57, then 81).
The Tydings committee investigated him and later showed he was lying.
1953 - he investigated the army and his unreasonable treatment lost him support.
What was liberalism?
Kennedy described it as forward-thinking, flexible and concerned about the welfare of people.
Liberals were educated, m/c and wealthy.
They believed government intervention could improve things.
What was ‘positive discrimination’?
To treat minority groups, who have experienced discrimination, better over others to redress inequality.
What was counter-culture?
Hippies - wanted to loosen the tight family system and live in communal societies.
- they believed in peace
Radical students - wanted to change society to produce a more equal world.
What were conservatives?
Many old Americans who were averse to change and held traditional values.
They opposed the rejection of traditional Christian religious values and patriotism.
