Ch.20.3:Domestic Politics

and PoliciesPP. 680-686

Key Qs

• What were Truman’s domestic policies as outlined in his Fair Deal?

• How was Truman able to win the election of 1948? Why is the election notable?

• What was the Republican approach to government during the Eisenhower presidency?

Key Terms

• Reconversion

• Taft-Hartley Act

• Modern Republicanism

• National Defense Education Act

Setting the Scene

• The 1950’s were very conservative

- Both politically and culturally

- Explain….

• Truman struggled with moving to a peacetime economy

• Eisenhower used a low-key approach• Genial, reassuring manner made him one of

the most popular Presidents after WWII

Truman’s Domestic Policies

• Truman wanted to follow in FDR’s footsteps

• He often appeared ill-prepared for the presidency

• He offered a new patch of proposals in every speech

The Peacetime Economy

• Truman’s first priority was reconversion • The social and economic transition form

wartime to peacetime• Got most soldiers home by 1946• Keeping wartime inflation in check was more

difficult• Similar problems to those after WWI

The Peacetime Economy Cont.

• Truman passed the Taft-Hartley Act:• Passed in 1947• Allowed the President to

declare a 80-day cooling off period in which strikers had to return to work

• This was only allowed in industries that affected national interest

• Also made union officials sign oaths saying that they were not Communists

Truman’s Fair Deal

• Truman supported Roosevelt’s New Deal

• He used the well-known name and called his program the Fair Deal

• This extended the policies in the New Deal

• Truman thought that the Government needs to play an active role in securing economic justice for all American citizens

• He created a 21 point program

Fair Deal Cont.

• Truman ran into tremendous political opposition

• One measure that was passed was the Employment Act of 1946

• Truman lost a lot of support during the 1946 mid-term elections

Truman on Civil Rights

• He recognized that he had to take action on Civil Rights

• He publicly supported civil rights

• Change came very slowly

• Met with African American leaders in 1946

• Created the biracial Committee on Civil Rights in December of 1946• They were in charge of looking into race

relations

The Election of 1948

• Truman ran for another term

• His popularity diminished in his own party

• Southern democrats broke off and created the Dixiecrat Party and nominated J. Strom Thurmond

• Progressive Party was headed by Henry Wallace

• Republican was Thomas E. Dewey

1948 Election Results

• All experts and polls had Dewey winning the election

• Truman won in a big upset

• Democrats won control of Congress

• Truman finally was able to step out of FDR’s shadow

1952/Eisenhower becomes President

• Dwight Eisenhower was the commander in chief of the Allied forces

• Known as Ike

• During WWII, he forged agreements among Allied military commanders

• Easy going charm

• K1C2 strategy by the Republicans

The Checkers Speech• In response to allegations that Eisenhower’s

running mate, Richard Nixon, was using a special fund• Accused of receiving illegal gifts

• Nixon had done nothing wrong

• People wanted Ike to dump Nixon from his ticket

• He gave a speech denying these allegations

• He told Americans to contact the Eisenhower campaign to say if he should stay on the ticket or not

• He got overwhelming support to stay on the ticket

Eisenhower as President

• He wanted to work behind the scenes

• Critics thought this meant he lacked leadership

• The American people approved of his style

• In the 1956 election Dwight Eisenhower won and was reelected• Defeated IL Governor Adlai

Stevenson in both elections

Modern Republicanism

• “Conservative when it comes to money, liberal when it comes to human beings”

• Priorities included cutting spending, reducing taxes, and balancing the budget• Smaller government, opposite direction of FDR & Truman

• He was in favor of big business• Cabinet members were businessmen• “8 millionaires & a plumber”

• But…• In 1954 and 1956 Social Security was extended to make 10

million more workers eligible • Minimum wage increased from 75 cents to $1

Eisenhower’s Presidency

• His attempts to cut gov’t spending backfired

• The economy slumped; growth slowed

• The deficit grew

• Economic recession in 53-54, 57, & 60-61

Meeting the Technology Challenge

• In response to Sputnik the US government created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

• Congress passed and Eisenhower signed into law the National Defense Education Act• Designed to improve science and

math instruction in the schools• Low-cost loans to college

students if they became teachers