CHAPTER 20
THE NEW FRONTIER
AND
THE GREAT SOCIETY
THE ELECTION OF 1960
-
KENNEDY AND NIXON ARE MORE ALIKE THAN DISSIMILAR
-
THE TELEVISED DEBATES ARE THE TURNING POINT OF THE ELECTION
o
KENNEDY IS MORE TELEGENIC
-
KENNEDY IS THE YOUNGEST ELECTED PRESIDENT
o
HE IS CATHOLIC
-
KENNEDY ARGUES THAT IKE AND THE REPUBLICANS HAVE BECOME SOFT ON
COMMUNISM
o
THE SOVIET DEVELOPMENT OF THE ATOMIC AND HYDROGEN BOMBS
o
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPUTNIK
o
THE U2 INCIDENT
-
KENNEDY REPLACES BRINKMANSHIP WITH A FLEXIBLE RESPONSE
o
UPGRADES CONVENTIONAL FORCES
o
MAINTAIN A NUCLEAR DETERRENT
-
IN 1958 FIDEL CASTRO OVERTHROWS THE GOVERNMENT OF BATISTA
o
HE PROCLAIMS HIMSELF AS A SOCIALIST REVOLUTIONARY
o
HE NATIONALIZES AMERICAN PROPERTY
o
HE TURN TO THE SOVIET UNION FOR ECONOMIC AID
§ WHY – THE US INSTITUTED AN ECONOMIC
EMBARGO ON CUBA
20/2
-
THE BAY OF PIGS INVASION – 1961
o
CUBAN EXILES FROM FLORIDA (LA BRIGADA)
FAIL IN THEIR ATTEMPT TO INVADE AND RETAKE CUBA
§ WHY – THEY FEEL THAT CASTRO
HAS BETRAYED THE REVOLUTION
§ THEY NEVER RECEIVE THE
PROMISED US SUPPORT
o
A PUBLIC RELATIONS COUP FOR CASTRO
o
A PUBLIC HUMILIATION FOR KENNEDY AND THE US
o
NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV PROMISES BOTH ECONOMIC AND MILITARY AID
§ HE SEES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
SOVIET INFLUENCE IN THE AMERICAS
-
THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
o
THE SOVIETS PLACE MISSILES IN CUBA
§ WHY - ACT AS A REPRISAL FOR
US MISSILES IN GREECE AND TURKEY
o
U2 FLIGHTS DETECT THESE MISSILES
o
KENNEDY DEMANDS THAT THE MISSILE INSTALLATIONS BE DISMANTLED
§ VIOLATES THE ROOSEVELT
COROLLARY AND THE MONROE DOCTRINE
o
KENNEDY INSTITUTES A NAVAL BLOCKADE
§ STOP FUTURE SHIPMENTS OF
MISSILES TO CUBA
§ ANY SHIP THAT DIDN’T SUBMIT
TO INSPECTIONS WOULD BE FIRED UPON
§ KHRUSHCHEV BACKS DOWN AND
ORDERS SHIPS TO RETURN TO USSR
20/3
o
THE CRISIS IN RETROSPECT
§ MISSILES ARE REMOVED BY
SOVIETS
§ US PROMISES NOT TO ATTACK
CUBA
§ US PROMISES TO REMOVE
MISSILES FROM GREECE AND TURKEY
§ THIS IS THE CLOSEST THAT THE
SUPERPOWERS CAME TO A DIRECT CONFRONTATION DURING THE COLD WAR
· CLOSEST THAT THE DOOMSDAY
CLOCK CAME
TO 12 O’CLOCK
§ A PUBLIC HUMILIATION FOR THE
SOVIETS
· WHY – THE SOVIETS DIDN’T
HONOR ITS COMMITMENT TO AN ALLY
§ US SEES THE CRISIS AS A
RENEWAL OF NATIONAL PRIDE AND A SUCCESSFUL CONTAINMENT POLICY
§ A HOTLINE IS ESTABLISHED
BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND MOSCOW
· EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF
COMMUNICATION AND NEGOTIATION IN AVERTING A DIRECT CONFRONTATION
§ A NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY IS
SIGNED
· BANNED ATMOSPHERIC TESTING
-
THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA OF THE KENNEDY ADMINISTRATION
-
THE DOMESTIC AGENDA IS STONEWALLED BY A REPUBLICAN DOMINATED CONGRESS
20/4
-
FOREIGN AFFAIRS INITIATIVES
o THE PEACE CORPS
§ VOLUNTARY ASSISTANCE FOR
DEVELOPING NATIONS
· INTENDED TO REHABILITATE THE
TARNISHED AMERICAN IMAGE ABROAD
· REPUBLICANS FELT THAT IT WAS
A BOONDOGGLE
o THE ALLIANCE FOR PROGRESS
§ TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC AID
TO LATIN AMERICA
· AN EXTENSION OF CONTAINMENT
o
AN ECONOMICALLY STABLE COUNTRY WAS LESS LIKELY TO BE INFLUENCED BY
COMMUNIST IDEOLOGY
o
HE CHALLENGES AMERICA TO WIN THE RACE TO THE MOON
§ AMERICA’S PREEMINENCE IN
SPACE IS RESTORED
· ALAN SHEPHERD – IST SUB-ORBITAL FLIGHT
· JOHN GLENN – IST AMERICAN TO ORBIT THE EARTH
· NEIL ARMSTRONG – IST MAN ON THE MOON
o
NOVEMBER 22, 1963
§ KENNEDY SUPPOSEDLY
ASSASSINATED BY LEE HARVEY OSWALD WHO IN TURN IS ASSASSINATED BY JACK RUBY
§ THE WARREN COMMISSION
FINDINGS MAINTAIN A “SINGLE BULLET” THEORY
§ PEACEFUL SUCCESSION OF
RULERS IS REINFORCED AS JOHNSON IS SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT
JOHNSON
AND THE GREAT SOCIETY
-
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA OF LBJ
20/5
-
LBJ INITIALLY CHOSEN TO “BALANCE THE TICKET”
o
FOR THE MOST PART WAS NOT “IN THE LOOP” OF THE KENNEDY ADMINISTRATION
-
JOHNSON’S DOMESTIC AGENDA
o WAR ON POVERTY
§ ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ACT
·
VISTA
·
JOB CORPS
o
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964
§ ENDED DISCRIMINATION BASED
UPON RACE, COLOR, CREED, NATIONAL ORIGIN AND GENDER
o
TAX REDUCTION ACT
o
MEDICARE AND MEDICADE
o
HUD, DOT
o
CLEAN AIR AND CLEAN WATER ACTS
o
IMMIGRATION ACT OF 1964 –ENDED QUOTAS FROM NATIONAL ORIGINS ACT
o
CONSUMER PROTECTION
§ TRUTH IN PACKAGING ACT
§ HIGHWAY SAFETY ACT
· INFLUENCED BY RALPH NADAR (CONSUMER ADVOVCATE)
20/6
-
THE ELECTION OF 1964
o
JOHNSON EASILY DEFEATS GOLDWATER
§ GOLDWATER PERCEIVED AS BEING TOO
RADICAL
· IRONICALLY JOHNSON ENDS UP
DOING EVERYTHING THAT GOLDWATER ADVOCATES
§ JOHNSON RECEIVES A LEGISLATIVE
MANDATE
-
THE WARREN COURT
o
REMEMBERED FOR INSTITUTING LIBERAL REFORM
o
INTEGRATION – BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION
o
REAPPORTIONMENT – BAKER
V. CARR
§
GERRYMANDERING
o
EXTENDED RIGHTS OF THE ACCUSED
§ MIRANDA V. ARIZONA
§ GIDEON V. WAINWRIGHT
o
ENDED PRAYER IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
§ ABBINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT V. SCHEMP
-
IMPACT OF THE GREAT SOCIETY
o
NO PRESIDENT SINCE ROOSEVELT HAD A GREATER IMPACT ON THE REACH OF THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
o
INCREASED BUDGET DEFICITS
o
DOMESTIC AGENDA WAS REPLACED WITH A FOREIGN POLICY DOMINATED BY VIET
NAM