Kennedy and Johnson

1. Kennedy and Johnson

2. 1960 Election • Republican – VP Richard Nixon • Fresh off 1959 Kitchen debate with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev • Why would that matter? • Democrat – John F. Kennedy • 1st televised Presidential debate • Who won according to radio listeners? • Who won according to TV viewers? • Closest election in 75 years

3. A bad start • Bay of Pigs – April 1961 • Originally planned by Eisenhower Administration, but Kennedy signs on (“Group Think”) • Failed attempt to free Cuba • CIA • Air Force from Texas • Navy • Cuban refugees • Hope for uprising • JFK publically accepted blame

4. A new direction • Truman=Containment, Eisenhower=Massive Retaliation • Flexible Response – Kennedy’s new direction • Creation of Special Forces to battle guerrilla forces and small conflicts • Can not use nuclear weapons in every situation • Alliance for Progress – aid and goodwill gesture for Latin America • Peace Corp – established by JKF, used volunteers • How are these ideas different?

5. Other Foreign Affair Developments • Berlin Wall Crisis • Khrushchev has wall built around West Berlin • Why? • Kennedy travels to West Berlin in 1963 • “Ich bin ein Berliner” • Wall is symbolic of Cold War until 1989 • Space Race • May 1961 – Alan Shepard into space • JFK makes it a goal of the US to put a man on the moon by end of decade. Why? • What else does the Space Race improve? • NASA in Florida • Mission Control in Houston • 1969 – Neil Armstrong

6. Closest to WWIII • Cuban Missile Crisis – 1962 • US reconnaissance planes photographed the USSR was building underground missile sites in Cuba. • Kennedy announces a Quarantine of Cuba • If Soviet ships challenged, a full-scale nuclear war was likely • Khrushchev agrees to remove sites in Cuba, and US in Turkey • “Khrushchev blinked”

9. Effects of Cuban Missile Crisis • Hot Line established between Kremlin and White House in 1963 • Nuclear Test Ban Treaty signed in 1963 (no testing in atmosphere) • Other talks at reducing arms start • But new arms race for missile superiority starts (Space Race)

10. Kennedy’s Domestic Plan • New Frontier – called for aid to education, urban renewal, and civil rights. • During his 1000 day administration, he could not get much passed through Congress. • Some highlights • Robert Kennedy as Attorney General using Federal Gov’t in civil rights matters such as the Birmingham Protests • Housing Act of 1961 – assisted poor in cities and rural areas • Trickle-down economics – help economy • Increased minimum wage to $1.25 / hour • Many of his ideas would be pushed through by Johnson’s Great Society

11. Kennedy’s legacy • Why is Kennedy thought of as a great President by many when he was only in office for two and half years (1000 days)? • Camelot image – idealistic youth, Jackie • “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what can you do for your country.” • Even negative such as Bay of Pigs – what did he do? • Cuban Missile Crisis, Space Race, fight for New Frontier programs

12. Assassination in Dallas • November 1963 – Shocks the country • Lee Harvey Oswald charged with murder • Oswald killed three days later by Jack Ruby • Warren Commission investigated • Concluded that Oswald had acted alone • Many Conspiracy theories

13. Johnson and the Great Society • After JFK’s assassination, Lyndon Johnson become President • Former Congressman, he was able to push agenda through Congress where JFK could not. • Many of his ideas were focusing on problems written about in Michael Harrington’s The Other America. • Johnson’s Great Society Program known as “war on poverty.”

14. 1964 Election • In contrast to Johnson’s liberal agenda, the Republicans nominated a staunch conservative. • Barry Goldwater wanted to end TVA, Social Security. • Also seen as extremist in Cold War (Daisy Ad) • Johnson won in a landslide and the coattail effect made it where Democrats controlled both houses by more than 2/3. • Election showed that if candidate is too extreme, Centrist American voters won’t elect them (1972 another example)

15. Great Society Reforms • Medicare – health insurance for those 65 or older • Medicaid – health insurance for disabled and poor • Elementary and Secondary Education Act – aid to poor school districts • 1965 Immigration Act – end Quotas • Foundation on the Arts and Humanities – funding for creative and scholarly projects • Increased funding for colleges, housing assistance, and crime prevention

16. More Expansion of Government • Office of Economic Opportunity • Created Community Action Programs • Head Start programs • Part of War on poverty • Department of Transportation • Department of Housing and Urban Development (1966) • Robert Weaver – 1st African-American cabinet member

17. Two books making changes • Silent Springby Rachel Carson (1962) • Expose on pesticides • Launches environmental movement • Unsafe at Any Speed by Ralph Nader (1965) • Caused regulations to automobile industry • Start consumer advocacy program

19. Johnson and Civil Rights • Southerner Johnson was able to push through Civil Rights legislation. • Used JFK’s death and legacy in political fight • Would be final straw for many Southern Democrats with Party • 1964 Civil Rights Act • 1965 Voting Rights Act • Federal support of Civil Rights in South

20. Johnson’s legacy • LBJ’s Great Society did accomplish many of the goals on the war on poverty. But was it a success? • What were the positives? • What were the negatives? • What would be the reason focus would go off of the program in the late 1960s? • Why did LBJ decide not to seek reelection in 1968?

21. Warren Court • Chief Justice Earl Warren led courts in the 1950s and 1960s • Many cases had to do with Civil Rights and the Rights of the Accused. • 1954 – Brown v. Board • 1962 – Baker v. Carr – reapportionment had to be “one man-one vote” • 1964 – Heart of Atlanta Motel case – upheld Civil Rights Act of 1964 • Used Interstate Commerce Clause of Constitution • Gideon, Escobedo, and Miranda cases – rights for the accused