Theme 1

They were less inclined for federal intervention in people's lives, they may have favoured intervention if it benefitted businesses/ the economy

They were more interventionist that the Republicans, they felt that appropriate Federal Government intervention was acceptable

Role of the media, foreign threats, presidential personality and character, relationship between the president and Congress, public opinion, the dominant political philosophy of the day or the state of the economy and society

In 1914, he was determined for the USA to stay out of it. However, months after his re-election in 1916, he entered the war and sent millions of soldiers to the Western Front

Since 1914, they had loaned billions to the allies. In 1917, the British intercepted the Zimmerman telegram, which revealed that, in exchange for Mexican support, Germany had planned to invade southern US states. The USA were already assisting the allies. The Germans’ unrestricted submarine warfare put pressure on the president to act

People believed that he was too involved in government-decision making and many people saw him drafting bills for Congress as an unwelcome change. Some people accepted it as they saw WW1 as an exceptional circumstance

TRUST

Warren Harding (1921-23), Calvin Coolidge (1923-29), Herbert Hoover (1929-33)

He came from a poor family in Ohio and was seen as the embodiment of the Amercian Dream. He attracted support throughhis appealing personality and a call for a return to normalcy

He rejected membership and recognised that America was more concerned with post-war economic problems

Formed by Harding. Restricted immigration to 357,000 a year. This was revided to 150,000 a year in 1924. Linked to fear of the Red Scare

Set up by Harding, which he was criticised for. It put taxes on goods and encouraged people to "buy-American". Some people thought it was too inflexible

Considered corrupt by some because of the Teapot Dome Scandal- his secretary was caught accepting bribes
He cut back governemnt expenditure and tax from $5 billion to $3.4 billion

Became president August 1932 after Harding’s death
Tasked to restore dignity
finished Harding’s time and does his own (wins 54%)
He was given responsibility for economic boom and believed in laissez-faire
he went after trade union but backed companies. Union membership dropped from 12% in 1920 to 8% in 1929. He was on the side of business not the individual
Didn’t try to run for a second term

brought up in rural Oregon and became a millionare by 35
Had ambitious plans but wasn’t able to do them due to the depression

After WSC, Hoover persuaded Conngress to set up Federal Farm bond to help farmers who were struggling due to tariffs, but it was seen as a special case
He began to realsie laissez-faire wasn’t working
He thought the answer to the depression was to set up private charities and the most the government could do was to encourage them

In 1930, he set up the President’s Emergency Committee for Employment - temporary organisation to help find work projects for the unemployed. It was overwhelmed
Eventually he realised that federal intervention was needed
By 1933, he tried giving federal help to the states - advising them on projects and giving them money. This was a significant change and unwelcome by many
The federal measures that congress tried for put the government in debt
The government recieved $2 billion and spent over $5 billion but it was too little to late

1929 - Hoover set up Agricultural Marketing Act. Federal farm board that bought key crops to stabilise prices
1930 - Committee for Unemployment Relief formed. Coordinated andadvised state efforts for unemployment
June 1930 - The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act. Increased existing tariffs on foreign imports
1931 - The National Credit Corporation. Funded by healthy banks and businisses to help failing ones. Started with $500 million but had $10 million by the end of the year
January 1932 - The reconstruction Finance Corporation set up with $300 milion to lend to states for relief projects, from July, the lending can be given to farmers and public works can be set up

1924 - US government gave people who fought in WW1 payment. People who were owed $50 were paid instantly but people who were owed more had to wait until 1945 People were refused to be paid early so in June 1932 they marched to Washington estimated that between 150,000 and 200,000 people went Fears of riots and the police went to break up the riots but weren't successful. 28th July - they were sent in with weapons There were reports saying the marhers were commuists and criminals Hoover lost popularity based on the way they were treated and it showed that people were desperate

1933 - 1945
Sometimes his election messages were vague
Intended to help people with the depresion
"Direct recruiting by the government itself, treating the task as we would treating the task as we would treat the emergency of war" - logic that allowed the public to accept his actions

A series of 28 evening radio addresses by Roosevelt between 1933-44
Spoke about issues such as the Emergency Banking Act, the New Deal or WW2
Created a sense of familiarity and allowed him to explain his reasons

Roosevelts first 100 days in office
Halted banking panic
Created a unique experiment in regional development
Gave hope and demonstrated commitment to recovery
Set aside billions for federal relief
Initiated the largest public works programme
Invented new institutions for the economy

1936
Supreme Court believed their role was to halt the spread of dictatorship
Originally supported the New Deal but by the end of his first term, they declared it unconstitutional
Produced the bill in Feb 1936 - the president could appoint new judges when one turned 70 and didn't retire after 6 months. The number of judges increased to 15
many opposed this

Quickly became president after Roosevelt's death
Desperate to live up to Roosevelt's standards. Had an impact on his style of presidency

After WW2 - US economy experienced a period of growth
Based mostly on consumer goods and living standards
factories reverted to peacetime production and struggled to meet the demands of returned soldiers - produced many jobs
By the end of the 1940s, average US salary was 15x greater than the average European

Promised a job for all Americans
"To use all practical means to foster maximum employment"

1947
Made closed shop illegal
Went against unions
60 day cooling period after strikes

1946 - post war inflation prompted unsuccessful demands for pay rises and widespread strikes
Truman tried to mediate railway workers and management
When he told union members that they couldn't say no to him, they said that noone paid much attention to him
He siezed control of steel mills under Executive Order No. 10340
Some people compared his power to Hitler
The Supreme Court ruled that the president had exceeded his executive authority. In an attempt to appear strong, he had overreached and humiliated himself

Congress rejected most of Truman's proposals for further economic and social reform legislation
Truman vetoed 250 bills passed by Congress, which overrode him 12 times. Congress wanted no more Roosevelts
Congress passed the 22nd Ammendment which limited a president to 2 terms
Congress didn't like the increased power of the president and Truman made relations worse by seeking reforming legislation as soon as he became president
Conservative Congressmen were against expensive and revolutionary New Deal style policies
There was no crisis that encouraged Truman to act like Roosevelt
Truman's aggressive style didn't suit domestic politics
He failed to achieve social reform legislation and couldn't control anti-communist hysteria

Replaces Roosevelt
Facing an increasingly Republican Congress
Attempts new legislation
Deals with the Second Red Scare and McCarthyism

the Truman Doctrine
Marshall Aid
Berlin Blockade
The Korean War

Fighting against communism - link to Red Scare
End of iolationism
Fighting a non world war
Republicans and democrats start to pull apart again

End of WW2 - communism had spread and embedded
Senetor Joseph McCarthy began witch hunts and began HUAC

End of WW2 - China turned communist in 1949, Korean war, Truman Doctrine
HUAC investigated Hollywood - 10 imprisoned and blacklisted
Soviets develop a nuclear bomb in 1949
McCarthy claimed there were 205 communists in State Department and gets huge publicity

Claimed he didn't realise he grew up poor because of the American Dream
Built a career in the army and was recognised for leadership skills
Republicans liked his opposition to federal budget defecits, high taxes, government bureaucracy and socailised medicine
won 55% of the vote

Believed in seld sufficiency - disagreed with the New Deal but felt it would be political suicide to dismantle it
Described himself as a liberally progressive Repiblicanism
Defence cuts sparked criticism so he spent more on it than he thought was necessary
Social Security benefits were increased and coverace extended to 10 million more Americans in 1954
Minimum wage increased to $1 an hour in 1955

Aimed to restore the dignity of the president
Maintained a good relationship with democrats
When China threatened taiwan in 1955, he asked Congress for a free hand if he needed military force to protect them. They agreed
Some saw him as a do nothing president
Influenced by Roosevelt
Introduced the largesr public works programme - Interstate Highway System

First TV president - links to consumerism and focus on personality
Intended to help people who were struggling and minorities
Won by a small percentage
His father was rich through prohibition and helped him to rasie politically
Johnson was his VP - they were complete opposites and Johnshon was respected

Though presidential leadership should focus on foreign policy
Had a "chaotic" leadership style

Leadership during CMC is often praised
Kennedy privately retreated after Soviet leader Khrushchev backed down
He removed American missiles from Turkey
Never kept Congress fully informed with what was happening

1963 - 1969
Sworn in after JFK’s assassination
Aimed to focus on domestic policy
Was very experienced
Aimed to bring the Great Society - his version of the American Dream, but he couldn’t afford it due to the war

Presidential power caused him to be seen as a driving policy on the war
1967 - 75% of Americans were pro war. Made it hard to leave
The final withdrawal didn’t reflect well on the president
People were relieved to be out of the war but humiliated to have fought a dirty war
Many people were willing to think of the president more critically

Was able to see the war up close and report images
Caused the public to be shocked
27th February 1968 - Walter Crokite broadcast criticism of the war. It was influencial and Johnson lost a lot of public support

He felt trapped by his predecessors
Dec 1967 - 535,000 troops in the war
Had doubts about involvement but did anyway
Often dishonest about his actions and motives

Exposure of his lies decreased respect
War made him unpopular - didn’t stand for reelection in 1968
Had to limit public appearace due to unpopularity
His preoccupation with the war distracted him from the Great Society

War led to tax rises and inflation. Caused a gold crisis
Increased federal gov defeci form $1.6 billion in 1965 to $25.3 billion in 2968
222,000 US military killed or wounded. Many of the 3 million who served surrered physical or mental disability
Between 1965 - 1973 - $15.5 billion spent on Great society. $120 billion spent on Vietnam
Minorities and poor people faced more divisions

1973
Congress brought it in to stop the president from starting a war easily

Linked to civil rights
Caused divide between generations
Went against ideas of everyone being the same
Went against the war
1968 - Republican win. Kick bag against it
People didn’t feel controlled by social standards
Affected other countries too

Wanted to loosen tight family systems and live in communal families
Believed in piece and a simple way of life and wider sexual freedom
Most famous gathering was Woodstock (15th -18th August 1969). Just under 200,000 tickets sold, 400 - 500,000 people turned up

wante to change society and produce a more equal world
Wanted to change everything from the way their courses were organised to the war
Students for a Democratic Society set up. Said politics had forgotten that all men are created equa;
Over 700 students arrested for sit ins and protests
Radical student froups planted bombs at military targets. 2nd August 1970 - a bomb detonated outside army research base in Madison. Killed 1 researcher ,injured 4 and cost $60 million in damage

Civil unrest
political scandal
Poor economy
Foreign policy
Media - Walter Cronkite