1. The New Frontier
JFK

2. Election of 1960
John F. Kennedy
Richard M. Nixon

3. 1960 was the first televised Presidential debate.
Election of 1960
1960 was the first televised Presidential debate.
Nixon came across as cold and clammy.
JFK looked young and vibrant.
JFK was the more appealing candidate and the debate helped.

4. JFK would be the first Roman Catholic Pres. if elected.
JFK Pros and cons
JFK would be the first Roman Catholic Pres. if elected.
People worried the pope would have too much power.
However, JFK was a visionary and appealed to the young and to women.
Civil Rights was a major policy push for Kennedy.

5. Camelot In a very tight and contested election, JFK won.
In his inauguration, “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”.
The Kennedy’s represented youth and style.
They were adored.

6. The White House JFK surrounded himself with academics.
Robert (Bobby) was his closest advisor and brother. A-G.
Also included successful businessmen in inner circle.
They would face some tough decisions in short order.

7. Foreign Policy
Under Eisenhower, we threatened everything – massive retaliation.
Under JFK, it was softened with a new policy – flexible response.
JFK had Congress increase military spending.
More nukes – 3x
Special Forces
More soldiers

8. crises Cuba was a major problem. Located just 90 miles off U.S. coast
Fidel Castro – communist dictator had formed ties with USSR.
JFK inherited a plan to oust Castro.
The Bay of Pigs Incident (4/17/61) was a disaster – failed and JFK admitted it.
Bigger problems to come.

9. Cuban Missile Crisis
In Oct. 1962, JFK announced that we would remove nukes from Cuba.
We quarantined Cuba and dared the USSR to bring more.
They did.
We didn’t budge.
Their ships turned around and the Soviets removed missiles.

10. New Frontier He started us on a race to reach the moon – NASA.
JFK’s domestic programs and vision were called the New Frontier.
He started us on a race to reach the moon – NASA.
Dealt with a sluggish economy by cutting taxes across the board.
Started international campaigns of the Peace Corps and Alliance for Progress.
Civil Rights programs were too risky politically.

11. Death in Dallas
On November 22, 1963, JFK landed in Dallas to make political friends.
While riding the backseat of a convertible, he was shot and killed.
Lee Harvey Oswald was caught in a movie theater.
Two days later, he was shot and killed by Jack Ruby.
The Warren Commission concluded Oswald acted alone.

12. President Johnson
VP Johnson was sworn in on Air Force One.
He was from Texas and was a master politician.
He was very liberal, but from a conservative state.
He would use the death of JFK to pass extensive legislation.

13. Great Society
LBJ used his position and power to get Congress to do what he wanted.
Civil Rights legislation was passed in honor of JFK. (‘57 and ‘64)
Tax cuts to grow the economy.
War on Poverty – passage of Economic Opportunity Act (1964)
Head Start program in education for the poor.

14. Great Society
Medicare (elderly) and Medicaid (poor) were health insurance programs paid by the government.
A new executive department created – Housing and Urban Dev. To get homes for low and middle income families.
New environmental standards passed in part b/c of Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring.
Ralph Nader wrote a book, Unsafe at Any Speed, about safety standards in cars.
Laws passed to regulate safety in automobiles.

15. Lasting Impact
The Warren Court (Earl Warren, Chief Justice) made major decisions.
Brown v. Board – desegregation
Miranda v. Arizona – rights of accused
Gideon v. Wainwright – rights of accused
The Court also banned prayer in public schools and reading from the Bible.
The Great Society started a decades-long creation of the Nanny state. We are paying the price now.