The New Frontier and the Great Society

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The New Frontier and the Great Society

• What are the qualities of effective leaders?

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Kennedy and the Cold War

• Main Idea
• The Kennedy administration faced some of the most
  dangerous Soviet confrontations in American
  history.
• Why it Matter Today
• Americas response to Soviet threats developed
  the United States as a military superpower.

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The Election of 1960

• In 1960, as President Eisenhowers second term
  drew to a close, a mood of restlessness arose
  among voters.
• The Democratic nominee for president,
  Massachusetts senator John Kennedy, promised
  active leadership to get America moving again.
• The Televised Debate Affects Votes
• America worries about JFK
• Too young, Roman Catholic
• Sept. 26, 1960- 1st Presidential Televised debate
• Kennedy comes out looking good
• Kennedy and Civil Rights
• Ask for the release of MLK in Georgia

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The Camelot Years

• The election in November 1960 was the closest
  since 1884 Kennedy won by fewer than 119,000
  votes. His inauguration set the tone for a new
  era at the White House

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A New Military Policy

• From the beginning, Kennedy focused on the Cold
  War.
• Defining a Military Strategy
• Most urgent task was to redefine the nations
  nuclear strategy.
• Flexible Response- Robert McNamara-increased
  defense spending creation of the Special Forces
  or Green Berets.
• Tripled the overall nuclear capabilities.

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Crisis Over Cuba

• The 1st test of Kennedys foreign policy came in
  Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida.

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Kennedy and Kruschchev Take the Heat

• Kennedy criticized.
• Brinkmanship
• A chance to invade Cuba
• Castro closes Cubas door to exiles in November
  1962.

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Crisis in Berlin

• One goal that guided Kennedy through the Cuban
  Missile Crisis was that of proving to Khruschev
  his determination to contain communism.
• Berlin Wall
• The Berlin Crisis
• 1961- 3 million East Germans fled to West Berlin
• August 13, 1961- Berlin wall is erected.
• Searching for Ways to Ease tensions
• Hot Line- between the White House the Kremlin
• Limited Test Ban Treaty- barred nuclear testing
  in the atmosphere.

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Kennedy and the Cold WarReview

• Explain the factors that led to Kennedys victory
  over Nixon in the 1960 presidential campaign.
• Kennedy spoke better in the televised debates,
  and his brother helped get MLK, Jr., out of jail.
  He had a well financed and organized campaign.
• What were the most significant results of the
  Cuban missile crisis?
• The Soviets removed their missiles from Cuba, and
  nuclear war was avoided.

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The New Frontier

• Main Idea
• While Kennedy had trouble getting his ideas for a
  New Frontier passed, several goals were achieved.
• Why it Matters Today
• Kennedys space program continued to generate
  scientific and engineering advances that benefit
  Americans.

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The Promise of Progress

• Kennedy set out to transform his broad vision of
  progress into what he called the New Frontier.
• He called on Americans to be new pioneers and
  explore uncharted areas of science and space
• He had difficulty turning his vision into reality
• He lacked a popular mandate-a clear indication
  that voters approved of his plans.

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Promise Progress
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Addressing Domestic Problems

• In 1962- the problem of poverty in America was
  brought to national attention in Michael
  Harringtons book The Other America.
• How people scraped by on less than 1,000 per
  person.
• Civil Rights battles erupted in the South during
  the 60s.
• 1963- Kennedy focused on problems at home.
• Robert Kennedy investigated racial injustice in
  the South.
• Focused on Poverty
• Proposed to cut taxes by over 10 billion.

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Tragedy in Dallas

• In the fall of 1963, public opinion polls showed
  that Kennedy was losing popularity because of his
  advocacy of civil rights.
• Four Days in November
• Nov. 22, 1963- Dallas, TX
• Who killed the president?
• Lee Harvey Oswald
• Unanswered Questions
• Warren Commission- investigated and concluded
  that Oswald acted alone.

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Taking Notes
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The New FrontierReview

• What was Kennedys New Frontier? Why did he have
  trouble getting his New Frontier Legislation
  through Congress?
• Kennedys legislative agenda was based on a broad
  vision of progress he faced a conservative
  coalition in Congress of Republicans and Southern
  Democrats.
• What two international aid programs were launched
  during the Kennedy administration?
• The Peace Corps and the Alliance for Progress

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The Great Society

• Main Idea
• The demand for reform helped create a new
  awareness of social problems, especially on
  matters of civil rights and the effects of
  poverty.
• Why it Matters Today
• Reforms made in the 1960s have had a lasting
  effect on the American justice system by
  increasing the rights of minorities.

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LBJs Path to Power

• From the Texas Hills to Capitol Hill
• 4th generation Texan from Blanco County
• Entered politics in 1937
• A Master Politician
• The Great Persuader

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Johnsons Domestic Agenda

• Johnson urged Congress to pass the civil rights
  and tax-cut bills that Kennedy had sent to
  Capitol Hill.
• July 1964- Johnson pushed for Civil Rights Act of
  1964.
• The War on Poverty
• Economic Opportunity Act (EOA)
• Job Corps Youth Training Program
• VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America)
• Head Start
• Community Action Program
• The 1964 Election
• Rep.- Barry Goldwater (AZ)
• Goldwater frightened Americans

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Building the Great Society

• By the time Johnson left the White House in 1969,
  Congress had passed 206 of his measures.

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Reforms of the Warren Court

• The Warren Court banned prayer in public schools
  and declared state-required loyalty oaths
  unconstituional.
• Congressional Reapportionment
• The way states redraw election districts based on
  the changing number of people in them.
• 80 of Americans lived in cities and suburbs.
• Baker v. Carr (1962)
• one person, one vote
• Rights of the Accused
• Mapp v. Ohio (1961)- evidence seized illegally
  couldnt be used in court. (Exclusionary Rule)
• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)- provide free legal
  counsel
• Escobedo v. Illinois (1964)- accused persons had
  the right to have a lawyer present during
  questioning
• Miranda v. Arizona (1966)- suspects must be read
  their rights before questioning.

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Impact of the Great Society

• The Great Society and the Warren Court changed
  the United States
• The war on poverty did help
• Tax cuts spurred the economy

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The Great SocietyReview

• Describe ways that the Great Society programs
  addressed the problem of poverty.
• They addressed the problem of poverty by
  providing job corps youth training programs,
  education programs, small business loans, medical
  care, and housing programs.
• How did the courts increase the political power
  of people in urban areas and those accused of
  crimes?
• By establishing the principle of one person, one
  vote, it made district apportionment more fair
  it expanded such protections to the accused as
  free legal counsel, the right to a lawyer, and
  the requirement to notification of ones rights
  at the time of arrest.