Chapter 21 THE NEW FRONTIER AND THE GREAT SOCIETY

1
Chapter 21 THE NEW FRONTIER AND THE GREAT
SOCIETY

• Section 1 Kennedy and the Cold War
• Section 2 The Kennedy White House
• Section 3 Johnsons Great Society

2
Objectives
Section 1 Kennedy and the Cold War

• How did television coverage influence the
  presidential election of 1960?
• How did President Kennedy plan to stop the spread
  of communism?
• Why did the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba fail?
• How did the Cuban missile crisis almost lead to
  war?

3
Television coverage and the election of 1960
Section 1 Kennedy and the Cold War

• Prior to debates, Nixon led in the polls.
• Debates showed Kennedy vibrant and Nixon tired.
• Radio listeners thought Nixon had won, but TV
  viewers thought Kennedy won.
• Kennedy won election by narrow margin.

4
Kennedys plan to stop communism
Section 1 Kennedy and the Cold War

• The strategy was called flexible response.
• Military actions included the Bay of Pigs
  invasion.
• Non-military programs included the Peace Corps
  and economic aid such as Alliance for Progress.

5
Failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion
Section 1 Kennedy and the Cold War

• strong Cuban counterattacks
• absence of a popular revolt
• lack of air strikes
• lack of naval and air support

6
The Cuban missile crisis
Section 1 Kennedy and the Cold War

• Soviet Union installed offensive missiles in
  Cuba.
• U.S. blockaded Cuba to force the Soviet Union to
  remove the missiles.

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Objectives
Section 2 The Kennedy White House

• How did President Kennedys image conflict with
  reality?
• Why did Kennedy have difficulty getting
  legislation passed?
• How did the Kennedy administration try to help
  poor Americans?
• How did Americans respond to the death of the
  president?

8
Kennedys image
Section 2 The Kennedy White House

• presented picture of health and vitality
• carefully controlled
• avoided photographs of the president wearing
  reading glasses
• struggles with illness (back trouble, Addisons
  disease) hidden

9
Difficulty passing legislation
Section 2 The Kennedy White House

• A coalition of southern Democrats and
  conservative Republicans in Congress opposed
  Kennedys programs.

10
Kennedys help for poor Americans
Section 2 The Kennedy White House

• supported passage of the Area Redevelopment Act
• was working on more antipoverty legislation when
  assassinated

11
Response to assassination
Section 2 The Kennedy White House

• deep mourning
• shock, fear, and outrage
• the Warren Commission

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Objectives
Section 3 Johnsons Great Society

• How did President Johnsons War on Poverty affect
  American communities
• What problems did the Great Society programs
  address?
• How did the Warren Court expand individual
  liberties?
• Why did support for the Great Society programs
  decline during the late 1960s?

13
Johnsons War on Poverty
Section 3 Johnsons Great Society

• Office of Economic Opportunity coordinated
  programs such as job training.
• Head Start program provided pre-school education
  for low-income families.
• Volunteers in Service to America provided a
  domestic Peace Corps.
• American Indians allowed to run their own
  antipoverty programs.

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The Great Society
Section 3 Johnsons Great Society

• health care (Medicare, Medicaid)
• education (Elementary and Secondary Education
  Act)
• housing (Omnibus Housing Act)
• cultural programs
• environmental protection acts

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The Warren Court
Section 3 Johnsons Great Society

• ruled that electoral districts had to have the
  same number of voters
• declared that states had to provide lawyers to
  impoverished defendants
• ruled that the accused had the right to have a
  lawyer present during police investigations
• declared that accused persons had to be informed
  of their rights at the time of arrest

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Decline in support for the Great Society
Section 3 Johnsons Great Society

• Vietnam War diverted funds and attention.
• Speed of legislation worried some members of
  Congress.
• Republicans gained congressional seats in 1966
  elections.
• Some state and local politicians disliked federal
  control of programs.