JOHN F. KENNEDY Domestic Policies

Economy  Held interest rates down to encourage growth of economy.  Eased unemployment  Raised industrial production by 15%  Motor vehicle sales rose 40%  His economic progress is yet to be matched.

Death Penalty  Stopped a death sentence on Jimmie Henderson on Feb 12, 1962 and changed the sentence to a life in prison.  On March 22, 1962, Kennedy signed a bill abolishing mandatory death penalty for first degree murder.

Civil Rights  The Supreme Courts ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional in 1954  They also ruled it unconstitutional in other public facilities like busses, restaurants, bathrooms, and beaches.  Robert Kennedy released Martin Luther King from prison.  On Nov 20, 1962, Kennedy signed a bill prohibiting racial discrimination in federally supported housing related facilities.

Immigration  Kennedy overhauled the immigration policy.  He made it so the selection of immigrants was based on family reunification rather than ethnicity.

Space Program  Apollo program was created early  Kennedy undertook it even though the cost was “prohibitively expensive.”  He wanted to do this because it was important for international prestige.  Costs were expected to reach $40 billion.  July 20, 1969, six years after Kennedys assassination, Apollo 11 landed on the moon.

Bibliography  Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas Andrew Bailey. The American Pageant: A History of the Republic. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Print.  "Kennedy Domestic Policy." 302 Found. Mary Ferrell Foundation. Web. 21 Mar  "Miller Center." American President: John Fitzgerald Kennedy: Domestic Affairs. University of Virginia. Web. 21 Mar