Dynamic Conservatism Part of Eisenhower’s presidential platform in 1952. Eisenhower said it stood...

Dynamic Conservatism

• Part of Eisenhower’s presidential platform in 1952.

• Eisenhower said it stood for:– Conservative when it comes to money– Liberal when it comes to human beings

Eisenhower’s Conservative Policy Attempts

• Cut income taxes by 10% (this should prompt ??)– Also cut government spending by 10%

• Interest rates were raised. (why)– This tightened credit (made it harder for money to get put

out into circulation)– This hopes to reduce inflation.

• Republicans tried to reduce the role of the Federal Government. (it didn’t work)– What happens to that power then?


• Dynamic Conservatism was not an attempt to repeal the NEW DEAL.

• NEW DEAL:NEW DEAL:– Series of economic reforms put forth by FDR (1st term)– Helped to get them out of the depression– Had the 3 R’s Relief, Recovery, Reform– Relief: For the Unemployed and Poor– Recovery: For the Economy to recover to normal levels– Reform: For the financial system so they never go

through a depression again.

• The New Deal was a “hands on approach” to government.


• Dynamic Conservatism was not an attempt to repeal the NEW DEAL.– Eisenhower did expand some New Deal Programs– Congress expanded Social Security Coverage– Raised the minimum wage (what does this potentially do)– Extended unemployment insurance– He created the Department of Health, Education, &

Welfare• What did this do to the size of the government???

– Government actually expanded.


• Created the InterstateInterstate Highway Act 1956Highway Act 1956• Largest public works in U.S. history (at the time)• Congress would pay for 90% of the construction

via tax dollars• Taxes would be paid on vehicles, gas, tires,

lubricants, auto parts. • As a result 42,000 miles of highway were

created.

Eisenhower’s Conservative Policy AttemptsHighway Act 1956Highway Act 1956

• Shopping malls and suburban life continued to grow because the highways created ease of accessibility.

• Miles driven by families increased by 4x• This helped contribute to the concept of

spending and prospering America in the 1950’s

Eisenhower’s Reign

• His presidency didn’t see a battle over fundamental issues by political parties

• Generally it was seen as Conservatives wanted Limited Government and Liberals wanted Big Government.

• Now because of the consensus of the people and parties “hot” issues were generally shared by both parties. (What was the hot issue that was the consensus?)

McCarthyismMcCarthyism

• The accusation of governmental officials of being disloyalty, subversion, or treason in relation to the red menace (communism)

• Led by Senator Joseph McCarthy.• Continued for 18 months!• Many senators despised him but wouldn’t

challenge him openly because they were afraid he would come after them. (He was very damaging to elections)


• The public supported him!• Patriotism was huge at this time and many

things were twisted around to be shown as questionable in terms of loyalty and patriotism.

• Some books were “voluntary” removed from shelves

• He worked his way through the State Department


• 1954 McCarthy attacked the U.S. Army.• He focused his attack at Fort Monmouth, NJ• He uncovered that the Army promoted a dentist

(Dr. Irving Peress) to Major and honorably discharged him when he used the “Pleading the 5th Amendment” when asked about Communist affiliations/relations.

• McCarthy bullied General R. Zwicker because he wouldn’t give McCarthy Peress’s file.


• Army countered saying McCarthy was trying to use his “communism allegations” to advance a person on his staff at the base of Fort Monmouth.

• The Army vs. McCarthy Trials went on for 6 weeks in the Spring of 1954. (The trials were telecasted)– McCarthy’s antics were bold. – He interrupted procedure “yelling point of order”– Made threats and faces– He was very misbehaved (on Live TV)– YouTube - McCarthyism Documentary part 1– YouTube - Army-McCarthy Hearings

McCarthyismMcCarthyism• McCarthy was now losing

steam in his arguments because he seemed reckless.

• The U.S. Senate voted to censure him:– CensureCensure: An official

reprimand. (which is a major political bad mark)

• He died less than 3 years later and so did the major anti-communism force in GovernmentGovernment

Election of 1956

• Repeat of the 1952 election.• Eisenhower vs. Stevenson (Eisenhower won)• Both political parties still felt the same on issues

and Eisenhower was at the top of his popularity– Stevenson had no answer to Ike’s popularity and had

no new issue to bring to the table.

• Problem was Eisenhower won the presidency but the Democrats won both houses of congress– 1st time this ever happened.

CivilCivil Rights Rights

Civil Rights

• In 1953, Eisenhower appointed Earl Warren to the Supreme Court (chief justice)

• The Supreme Court had been going over the constitutionality of racial segregation.– Specifically: Voting Rights

and School Segregation

Earl Warren

Civil Rights

• May 17th 1954 the court took on and rule the case of Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka Kansas stating that “separate but equal” was unconstitutional.– This was based on the 14th amendment. (Equal

citizenship and protection under the Law)

• The Supreme Court issued it’s enforcement stating that “all federal district courts are ordered to begin to desegregate schools– This was expected to be done “in good faith

compliance and with appropriate speed”

Civil Rights

• Because of this vagueness this opened the door for loose interpretation and enforcement.

Southern Manifesto.Southern Manifesto.• A document signed by 101 congressman from

11 southern states (99 of them democrats.)• Drafted primarily Strom Thurmond and Rick

Russell• It stated it would use “legal means to bring about

a reversal of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision”

Southern ManifestoSouthern Manifesto

• The Southern Manifesto accused the Supreme Court of abuse of power.

Several key concepts were highlighted:– “The Supreme Court’s unwarranted decision is now

bearing the fruit when men substitute naked power for established law”

– “The constitution does NOT, nor does the 14th amendment mention education.” The debates in passing the 14th amendment had nothing mentioned of education thus it should have no implementation on education in this case.


Several key concepts were highlighted:• This decision, is creating chaos and confusion in

the States principally affected. • It is destroying the good-natured relations

between the whites and Negros that have been created through 90 years of patient effort by the good people of both races.

• It has planted hatred and suspicion where there has been heretofore friendship and understanding.


• It urged southern officials to resist implementation of desegregation.

• The biggest confrontation of the Brown Decision and the true implementation of the Southern Manifesto came at Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas.

Little Rock 9Little Rock 9


• August 1957 NAACP attempted to register 9 black kids into Central High School.

• The 9 were hand picked based on excellent grades and attendance.

• The Little Rock School Board accepted it unanimously.

• Governor Orval Faubus Governor Orval Faubus did not.


• Segregationist groups threatened to physically block the entrance to Central High School if these students were enrolled.

• Sept. 4Sept. 4thth 1957: 1957: Gov. Faubus ordered the National Guard to also block the school. (Southern Manifesto in action)

• Sept 12Sept 12th:th: Eisenhower invites Faubus to meet with him telling him don’t interfere.

• Arkansas Federal Court ordered the National Guard to be removed and allow the 9 students to enter.


• White protesters came to block the 9 students from entering.

• Faubus & the School Board fearing problems removed the 9 students.

• Sept 24th 1957: Eisenhower ordered the 101st Airborne division of the US Army into Little Rock and Federalizes the Arkansas National Guard– In essence Eisenhower took control away from Faubus

• For the whole year they were subjected to physical and verbal abuse.

Little Rock 9Little Rock 9• Students were often spit on, called names,

pushed etc.• One girl had acid thrown into her eyes!• White students were only punished for their

harassment when their actions were:– “egregious and witnessed by an adult”

• YouTube - Little Rock 9 • YouTube - Elizabeth Entrance• Faubus in response shut down all public schools

in Arkansas for the 1958-1959 school year so they wouldn’t be integrated. “The Lost Year”

Civil Disobedience Civil Disobedience • Civil Disobedience became a popular tactic for

civil rights activist to bring about change. – Another form of non-violent protests. (Sit-ins,

boycotts, freedom rides, etc.

Rosa ParksRosa Parks• Dec. 1st 1955 Rosa Parks

refuses to give up her seat on

the bus. She wasn’t the 1st to do

so.

YouTube - Rosa Parks

Rosa ParksRosa Parks

Bus Segregation:• Black people were required to sit in the back and fill to

the front.• White in the front and filled to the back.• As whites got on they filled up until they met the blacks.• As more whites board blacks must give up their seat.• As whites boarded, blacks were required to stand. If

blacks boarded they had to stand from the get go.• Blacks boarded in the front to pay, de-board then had to

reenter in a separate door in the back of the bus.• Often times bus drivers would just drive away when the

blacks would step off to go through the back entrance

Rosa ParksRosa Parks

• Rosa Park’s bus incident lead to the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

• It started Dec. 1st 1955 and lasted until Dec 20th 1956!

• Drivers were mostly black so they refused to drive. Riders were mostly black so it was financially crippling.

• Supreme Court decided that segregation on busses was unconstitutional.

Civil Rights Act 1957Civil Rights Act 1957• Pushed by Lyndon B. Johnson• It primarily was a Voting Rights Act• It created the CivilCivil Rights Commission. (1957)Rights Commission. (1957)• It gave the Attorney General the power to take local

officials to trial if they denied African Americans the right to vote.

• It was largely opposed by:…..• Strom Thurmond. Strom Thurmond.

– He tried to block it by conducting the longest single He tried to block it by conducting the longest single senator Filibuster ever at the time.senator Filibuster ever at the time. (24 hours 8 minutes.)

Civil Rights Act 1957Civil Rights Act 1957

• The act was not well received and was amended largely from the beginning.

• It was hard to enforce and it was watered down but it was a step in the right direction.– If someone obstructed an African American from

trying to register to vote they rarely went to trial and if they did they faced an all white jury.

• The Civil Rights Act of 1960 helped clear up problems from the 1957 Act.

Eisenhower's New Lookvs.

Truman’s Containment Theory

Eisenhower on Containment

• Early in Ike’s Presidency he and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles continued with Containment. – They originally had stated they would change the

containment policy though.

• They stated that they EXPECT those under communism to be set free. (Hoping not to fight)

• This meant it would require Americans to fight. – No communist nation would ever set it’s citizens free

voluntary.

Eisenhower on Containment

• Eisenhower wanted liberation (meaning getting rid of communism) – That would have been TOO COSTLY

• The New LookNew Look became the name of the Eisenhower's Foreign Policy (specifically dealing with the Cold War and Communism.)

Eisenhower’s New LookEisenhower’s New Look

• It dealt primarily with Atomic DiplomacyAtomic Diplomacy.• It basically said massive air attacks on the

Soviet Union with Nuclear Bombs if communism was aggressively perused anywhere in the world. – Eisenhower and Dulles though this would keep the

Soviets from action.– This also allowed Eisenhower to reduce the spending

on conventional military equipment. Thus reducing military spending while keeping the arms race going.


• Ike and Dulles said this gave the USA more bang for their buck.

• The cuts in military spending they felt were necessary to keep the American Way of Life continuing (American Dream)

Criticisms of the New Look:Criticisms of the New Look:• It locked the USA into an all or nothing approachIt locked the USA into an all or nothing approach• Small attacks in 3Small attacks in 3rdrd world nations wouldn’t warrant world nations wouldn’t warrant

a full blown nuclear attack against the Soviet a full blown nuclear attack against the Soviet Union. Thus Communism would still expand.Union. Thus Communism would still expand.


• Ike said this New Look was better and more efficient than trying to police the whole world.

• Ike and Dulles stated the USA would provide the hardware to allied nations in certain parts of the world and they (allied nations) would provide the troops.

• This lead to “pactomania”:“pactomania”:– A period of treaty making during the Cold War. – USA signed alliances with 42 different nations and treaties

with over 100 countries. – This helped with geographical coverage of the “New Look”

Brinkmanship

• The notion of going to the brink of war to achieve peace. – Basically threaten total annihilation if the opponent

doesn’t do what you wish.

• Brinkmanship was used to help bring an end to the war in Korea. – It was used on China not the Soviets)

• Brinkmanship was then used again in Southeast Asia. (Indochina)– The countries between India and China….specifically

Vietnam)

Dynamic Conservatism Part of Eisenhower’s presidential platform in 1952. Eisenhower said it stood...

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