Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
CHANGING POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT - Coggle Diagram
CHANGING POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
RISE OF REPUBLICANISM
(1917-33)
Isolation:
17-33: promoted isolation and wanted America to be independent.
Led to some restrictions on immigration.
Tariffs on imports preventing Americans from buying foreign goods (switch to domestic)
Patriotism:
Large increase in trade of American goods.
Harding wanted to make America dependent on themselves and wanted to isolate America
Capitalism:
Main ideology.
Harding promoted American goods and increased trade.
After WW1: presidents wanted to boost the economy
Power of president:
Wilson wanted presidents to have the power to be involved in law-making (lead to a fusion of the executive and legislature)
Deeply impacted popularity of democrats and contributed to him loosing next election
War:
Wilson took US into WW1 which was an unpopular decision.
War had negative impact on economy (depression)
But it did strengthen international relations
Economy:
Post war depression due to WW1.
Harding: unemployment rose and were many protests and riots.
Coolidge: Boom in economy. But due to laissez-faire there were many flaws (led to depression)
Hoover: theory of rugged individualism (gov. will not interfere to help with jobs, homes) (isolation of America and restriction of immigration)
DECLINE IN REPUBLICANISM
(1917-33)
Personality of presidents:
Hoover became unpopular due to inability during depression
Went against Laissez Faire style and began interfering but realised it wouldn't work.
Blamed for economic crisis
Economy:
1929: Wall street crash=Great depression.
Unemployment rose significantly.
1930: Hoover set up Presidents Emergency Committee for employment (temporary organisations to find work projects or unemployed) It was overwhelmed.
Began using federal intervention which was unpopular.
Last year of presidency: gov. received $2000M and spent over $5000M
Normalcy:
Idea of returning back to how life was like before war. There were some improvement but not completely returned
Opposition:
Hoover's democratic opponent Roosevelt, was an excellent communicator and effective governor of NY.(became increasingly popular and began introducing idea of New deal). Led to democrats winning more seats.
Bonus Army:
Were war veterans who received a bonus payment calculated on years of service.
As country went into depression, veterans asked for their money and gov. refused.
Lost a lot of support for Republicans
Ideology:
Republican ideology became clouded as he tried to get America out of slump. Many people didn't believe in Hoover
IMPACT OF WW2 (1939-45)
Roosevelt understood that people would have been reluctant to join the war so in "fireside chats" after war broke out, he assured that the US would remain neutral
Roosevelt geared the US up for war production to provide for allies.
Led to a rise in employment and boost in industry and farming
War helped pull the US out of depression
8 December 1941: After japan boomed Pearl Harbour, USA joined WW2 (unemployment dropped steeply as men joined forces and women stepped in to take their place in industries)
Within a year: US had produced $47B worth of goods
War was good for economy but were extremely large human cost (400,000 died)
SECOND RED SCARE (1947-54)
Fuelled by events: formation of communist china, "Iron curtain", Korean war, Soviet nuclear Weapon capabilities
Allegations that the USSR were spying on US. When investigated it was believed that there were 205 known communists working in gov..
Developed HUAC (House o un-American Activities Committee) hat conducted character research.
McCarran internal security Act 1950: restricted civil liberties in name of security
Large effect on civil liberties (led to organisations such as HUAC and FBI investigating civilians and celebrities with little evidence
Resulted in anti-communist behaviour since everybody became suspicious of each other
Refers to the fear of communism that affected American politics, culture and society (especially during the open phases of cold war) lasted longer and more universal than first red scare
Second red scare more serious as the gov. was involved
China had fallen to comminism (shows communism was becoming more popular and a larger threat to US)
USSR held its first nuclear weapons test which was a threat.
FDR (1933-45)
The national recovery administration (NRA) set up and enforced codes of practice for businesses, including setting working hours and minimal wage
Insisted that the gov. was responsible for the welfare.
Introduced the New deal which was very different to the idea of rugged individualism
New deal thinking also stressed the importance of rapid, national action
Agricultural Adjustment agency (AAA) regulated the major crops (wheat, cotton and milk)
Fireside chats: radio broadcasts that Roosevelt introduced. He explained policies to people as if they were chatting in person
Introduced the social security system and carried the US away from isolationism by supporting Churchill and British war effort
Confident, charming and persuasive. Knew his own mind and was pragmatic. understood how to manipulate congress
More concerned with general policy rather than detail and didnt understand the economic theory well
Understood the power of the media, he held "off the record" press meetings with selected reporters at the white house. Made the press feel involved and on his side
Welathy business people disliked his policies, republicans disliked his enlarging the powers of the president.
ANTI COMMUNISM (1954-80)
Third anti-communism movement in America that had significant changes to the civil liberties of the public and the political landscape. Longest red-scare and included influential events such as the space and arms race, Cuban missile crisis. Had a great effect as it created terror
Americans fears of internal communism increased. Although less than 50,000 American out of 150M were members of the communist party.
US gov. put on a façade of a free country although the FBI were tapping into phones calls and bugging homes and offices. Maintained the public fear.
Growing tensions between the two superpowers in the cold war. The USSR built up a buffer zone of Eastern European satellite states and developed nuclear atom bomb. Challenged the capitalist system as both competed to be superior
FIRST RED SCARE (1919-20)
It seemed possible than America would become Communist.
Important as it was the origin of communism in America where previously America was strictly Liberal and everyone earned for themsleved
During WW1 when workers in US did not go on strike over working conditions however when the war ended the conditions still hadn't improved so they began striking. At this point the communist party was formed and communist labour party. Anarchists handed out pamphlets urging for a revolution
Caused by Russians fall of Tsardom and rise of communism. causing a domino effect in w/c and resulted in fear of communism, particularly when workers began to strike in large numbers
3,600 strikes, 1 in 4 workers on strike, 21st jan 1919: 35,000 shipyard workers went on strike which escalated to the general strike of 60,000.
"red hunting" began to break out as people started to acuse each other of being communist. So extreme that some businesses sacked employers that suspected of being left wing.
Some parts of the country became violent, the KKK targeted all groups that were considered "un american".
Anti-communism never went away even though media and gov. reacted in a more balanced way
Attorney general palmer predicted a "red revolution" but this failed to happen.
Had the biggest impact on political landscape becuase it was the first sign of communism that helped shaped political parties, but also trade unions which were essential in improving workers rights. But this caused negative aspects such as KKK and tensions between civilians.
PRESIDENTS
HARRY TRUMAN:
Not charasmatic, not confident. He could be overwhelmed by the importance of job and he made mistakes under pressure.
He saw working with media as important, but didnt explain enough.
He didnt instantly appeal to the public, his speeches were wooden and sometimes made mistakes.
he worked well with the White house but didnt choose the right people. Worked less well with congress, despite republican majority
DWIGHT EISENHOWER:
Deliberately cultivated optimistic and friendly manner.
Saw working with media as important but often missed the problem.
Good public manner, accessible, used clear imagery in his speeches.
Expectational organization, set up regular briefings.
Worked well with congress, good at political bargaining and persuasion
JOHN KENNEDY: