American History Chapter 17 Section 1

Impact of the TV on the Presidency The presidential election of 1960 centered on the economy and the Cold War. In the election of 1960, both major parties made substantial use of television.

John F. Kennedy (JFK) The Democrats nominated John F. Kennedy, a Catholic from a wealthy Massachusetts family. JFK was a war hero during WWII.

Richard M. Nixon The Republicans nominated Vice President Richard M. Nixon, a Quaker from California who had simple beginnings.

Kennedy’s View Kennedy believed that the Soviets were a serious threat. He was concerned about a “missile gap.” He believed that the United States had fallen behind the Soviet Union in the number of weapons it had.

Nixon’s View Nixon felt that the Democrats’ plans would boost inflation. He also believed that he had the foreign policy experience needed to lead the nation.

A Catholic Kennedy’s religion became an issue in the campaign. The United States had never had a Catholic president and many Protestants were concerned about Kennedy’s loyalties. Kennedy emphasized his belief in the separation of church and state.

T.V. Debates Four televised presidential debates also influenced voters. Kennedy’s youth and optimism made him popular.

JFK Wins! Kennedy narrowly won the popular vote, and his victory in the Electoral College was 303 votes to 219.

Kennedy’s Inauguration Kennedy's Inaugural Address called on citizens to take a more active role in making the nation a better place. JFK states, “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country”

New Frontier After Kennedy was elected, he sent his New Frontier legislation to Congress. Kennedy had little support in Congress and found it difficult to get his programs passed.

Congress not Supportive Although Democrats had majorities in both houses of Congress, Kennedy was unable to push through many of his domestic programs. The Democrats in Congress followed their own interests instead of the president’s. Southern Democrats and Republicans also viewed the New Frontier as too expensive. However, some of Kennedy’s economic programs were passed.

Fighting Unemployment In the late 1950s, unemployment was high and the economic growth rate was low. In an effort to increase growth and create more jobs, Kennedy advocated deficit spending to boost the economy.

Government Spending More He convinced Congress to spend more on defense and space exploration. This created more jobs and grew the economy.

Business Kennedy's conflict with the steel companies strained his relations with the business community. He asked business leaders to keep prices and pay increases down. Kennedy asserted that lower taxes meant businesses would have more money to expand, and that as they expanded they would create new jobs. – However, Kennedy push for tax cuts but was unsuccessful. Kennedy did increase the minimum wage and passed public works projects.

Women in JFK’s Administration Many women held important positions in Kennedy’s administration. He even issued an executive order to end gender discrimination in the federal civil service. In 1963, he signed the Equal Pay Act for women.

Warren Court In 1953 Earl Warren became the chief justice of the United States. The Warren Court issued several rulings that reshaped American society.

Reynolds V. Sims It made important decisions about reapportionment, which is the way states drew up political districts based on changes in population. By 1960 more people lived in urban areas than rural areas. However, many states had not changed their electoral districts to match. In 1964, in Reynolds v. Sims, the Court required states to redraw electoral districts so that all citizens’ votes would have equal weight.

Due Process In the 1960s, the Supreme Court ruled in several cases that upholding due process which meant applying the federal bill of rights to the states. This amendment ruled that states could not deprive individuals of the right to due process. This meant that the law could not treat individuals unfairly or unreasonably. It also meant that the courts had to follow correct procedures and rules to try cases.

Miranda V. Arizona In the 1966 Miranda versus Arizona case, the Court required that authorities immediately inform criminal suspects of their rights (Miranda Rights). Your Miranda Rights state that a defendant had the right to lawyers and to be told they could stay silent before questioning.

Separation of Church and State During the Kennedy years, the Supreme Court also handed down decisions that reaffirmed the separation of church and state.