THE NEW FRONTIER

1
THE NEW FRONTIER

• Kennedy initiated his vision in a program he
  called The New Frontier
• Many American were concerned with the Cold War
  and bad economy
• Called for
• Expanding the economy
• Improving education
• Ending racial discrimination
• Medical care for the elderly and the poor,
• space exploration

2
COULD NOT GET PROGRAMS PASSED

• Kennedy could not get his domestic programs
  through Congress
• Why
• Too costly
• Southern Democrats controlled Congress
• Did not have a mandate
• Lacked experiences to deal with Congress

3
BUT HE DID HAVE SOME SUCCESS

• Congress passed a few of his programs that
  boosted the economy and increased national
  defense
• Increased defense spending
• Increased the minimum wage
• Federal assistance to urban areas with large
  unemployment
• Federal funding for Space Race

4
THE PEACE CORPS

• One of the first programs launched by JFK was the
  Peace Corps
• The Peace Corps is a volunteer program to assist
  developing nations in Asia, Africa and Latin
  America
• The Peace Corps has become a huge success

5
NASA

• One of Kennedys biggest accomplishments was the
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  (NASA).
• Part of this reason was to compete with the
  Soviets in the Cold War.

6
The Space Program

• The Soviet Unions launch of the Sputnik
  satellite in 1957 inspired the United States to
  work toward placing a manned spacecraft in orbit.
• In April 1961, Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin
  became the first human to travel in space.
  Americans worried that their technology was
  falling behind that of the Soviet Union.
• Funding for the National Aeronautics and Space
  Administration (NASA) was increased. In 1961 and
  1962, American astronauts made initial space
  flights.

7
Other Kennedy Initiatives
Although Kennedy served a shortened presidency,
he was able to initiate a variety of programs,
including

• Largest defense buildup in peacetime history
• Extension of Social Security benefits
• Expansion of National Park System
• Tightening of food and drug laws
• Signing of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
• Changes in the welfare system