Politics in 1950s

1. Politics in 1950s Ch. 20, Sec 3

2. Economics • Truman’s first peacetime job was reconversion-moving to peacetime economy. • Quickly brought troops home from Europe, Asia. • Removed gov’t controls on economy, production. • Prices rose 25%, eventually settled. • Workers demanded wage increases they didn’t get due to war effort. • Led to increased strikes in 1946. • Congress passed Taft-Hartley Act in 1947. • Allowed President to declare 80-day cooling off period, forcing strikers to return to work in vital industries. • Also required union leaders to swear they weren’t Communists. • Truman vetoed, Congress overrode veto.

4. Democrat Truman began program called Fair Deal, extended New Deal policies. • Legislation promoted: • Full employment, higher minimum wage, more unemployment compensation, housing assistance, national health insurance, creation of atomic energy commission. • Almost all were shot down by Congress. • 1946-Republicans won control of Congress. • Worked to reduce size, power of gov’t, reduce taxes, block Truman’s goals.

6. Truman found more success in civil rights issues. • Wanted “equality of opportunity”. • 1948-banned discrimination in hiring of federal employees. • 1948-De-segregated armed forces. • These were first steps of civil rights movement of ‘50s & ‘60s.

8. 1948 Election • 1948-Truman ran for second term as President. • Democrat Party split over Truman. • Southern Democrats & segregationists split off, formed DixiecratPraty, backed S. Carolina governor Strom Thurmond for President. • Liberal Democrats backed Progressive Party Henry Wallace, former FDR VP. • Republican Party nominated New York governor Thomas Dewey.

10. Dewey Wallace

11. Truman campaigned against “do-nothing” Congress. • Gave fiery speeches, earned nickname “Give ‘em hell, Harry”. • During election, everyone thought Dewey would beat Truman easily. • Truman won easily, Democrats regained Congress. • Fair Deal continued, won no major victories. • 1951-22nd Amendment passed. • Limited President to two terms or ten years. • No overwhelming public support or opposition.

14. Ike • 1952-Republican Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower won election against Democrat Adlai Stevenson. • Ike was talented diplomat, very laid-back, popular. • Strong anti-Communist, promised to end Korean War. • Vice-President Richard Nixon opposed to Communism, gov’t corruption. • Soon before election, Nixon accused of receiving illegal gifts from supporters. • Not true, but scandal began. • Nixon went on tv, gave detailed look at finances, said he had received 1 gift-dog named Checkers, keeping it. • Checkers Speech kept Nixon on ticket, helped ensure Ike’s victory.

17. Ike worked behind scenes, viewed by some as lack of leadership. • Ike’s style popular, easily won re-election in 1956, again against Stevenson. • Ike developed Modern Republicanism. • More power to Congress, less to President (unlike FDR), cutting spending, reducing taxes, balancing budget. • Liked big business, wanted to shrink size & power of gov’t. • Gave federal oil lands to states for drilling (more power to states).

18. Some of Ike’s plans backfired. • Cuts in gov’t spending led to short recession. • Economic growth slowed, but did not stop. • Ike also dealt with Space Race against USSR. • Due to Sputnik, Ike created National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). • Independent agency tasked with space exploration. • Congress & Ike passed National Defense Education Act. • Improve science & math education in schools. • So US could meet technology challenges against USSR.