JFK

Election of 1960• VP Richard Nixon (r) v MA Senator John F. Kennedy (d)

– Extremely close election• JFK won by 119,057 votes out of 68.3 million votes• 303 electoral votes to 219 (15 votes went to

segregationist candidate Harry F. Byrd of Virginia)

– JFK was the nation’s first Catholic president– The election foreshadowed the break up of the

New Deal coalition• White southerners continued to leave the democratic

party because of its support of civil rights

JFK• Inaugural address: answer the following questions

after you listen:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLmiOEk59n8– What is the focus of JFK’s speech?

– Who are “both sides”?

– What does he want “both sides” to do for peace?

– What do you think JFK meant by “…ask not what your county can do for you: Ask what you can do for your country.”?

JFK’s New Frontier• Kennedy's New Frontier domestic program was ambitious, promising federal

funding for education, medical care for the elderly, and government intervention to halt the recession. Kennedy also promised an end to racial discrimination.

• The New Frontier program proved impossible to complete, however, due to the reluctance of a conservative Congress. Still, Kennedy established the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity to eliminate racial discrimination in hiring of government employees and in 1962 issued an executive order forbidding segregation of federally funded housing.

• The New Frontier program was successful in establishing the Peace Corps, a group dedicated to helping Third World countries. This was both a humanitarian group and a new front in the Cold War. If the Peace Corps could win the hearts of Third World countries, it could prevent communist expansion into them.

JFK’s New Frontier• The “New frontier” was not going so well

because of the coalition of southern democrats and republicans – Could not pass any bill which included:

• School aid • Medicare• Civil rights tax cut/reform

– He did get passed• Peace Corps• Space program (many republicans were happy with this

because it would take place in their regions)

JFK assassinated• 11/22/63 JFK assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald

– Many conspiracy theories surrounding his murder• Oswald a communist supporter?

• Castro involved?

• Mob connections (Jack Ruby)?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSBXW1-VGmM

• After JFK’s death, LBJ takes over– Introduces his ideas of “Great Society”

• Basically a continuation of FDR’s policy

• A main focus of the Great Society social reforms an "end to poverty and racial injustice".

Great Society• LBJ Documentary "The Great Society“• According to this clip, what impacts did the

Great Society have on the U.S. population?

LBJ• 1964 election: LBJ wins the presidency outright

– This election was the beginning of the white south moving to the republican party

• Unlike JFK, LBJ was able to get many things passed into law:

– 3 reasons:1. LBJ was the former Senate minority and majority leader so he

know the strengths and weaknesses of the members of Congress and he used it to manipulate them

2. There was an outpouring of sympathy for JFK and his programs and LBJ did not shy from using that memory to gain support for his “Great Society”

3. In the 1964 election the Democratic margin in the House increased by 38 seats and in the Senate by 2 seats (this meant the southern democratic coalition could be out-voted)

Civil Rights Acts• LBJ was able to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act which

prohibited discrimination in public accomodations

• 1965 Voting Rights Act gave blacks federal protection in voting

• Federal aid to education was increased• Medicare was enacted• Federal housing projects started• Job Corps training for the youth• Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA)• Head Start

Increased spending• Great Society increased spending in:

– Health, education, and social purposes• 1964: $54 billion• 1968: $98 billion

– LBJ’s programs seemed to work• 1959: 22.4% of the population were classified as poor with an annual

income of $3,130 or less for an urban family of 4• 1969: 12.2%

• Vietnam killed the Great Society, all the spending went to the war