Ch.20.3:Domestic Politics and

PoliciesPP. 680-686

Key Qs

• What were Truman’s domestic policies as outlined in his Fair Deal?

• How was Truman able to win the election of 1948? Why is the election notable?

• What was the Republican approach to government during the Eisenhower presidency?

Key Terms

• Reconversion

• Taft-Hartley Act

• Modern Republicanism

• National Defense Education Act

Setting the Scene

• The 1950’s were very conservative

- Both politically and culturally

- Explain….

• Truman struggled with moving to a peacetime economy

• Eisenhower used a low-key approach• Genial, reassuring manner made him one of the most

popular Presidents after WWII

Truman’s Domestic Policies

• Truman wanted to follow in FDR’s footsteps

• He often appeared ill-prepared for the presidency

• He offered a new patch of proposals in every speech

The Peacetime Economy

• Truman’s first priority was reconversion • The social and economic transition form wartime to

peacetime• Got most soldiers home by 1946

• Keeping wartime inflation in check was more difficult

• Similar problems to those after WWI

The Peacetime Economy Cont.

• Truman passed the Taft-Hartley Act:• Passed in 1947

• Allowed the President to declare a 80-day cooling off period in which strikers had to return to work

• This was only allowed in industries that affected national interest

• Also made union officials sign oaths saying that they were not Communists

Truman’s Fair Deal

• Truman supported Roosevelt’s New Deal

• He used the well-known name and called his program the Fair Deal

• This extended the policies in the New Deal

• Truman thought that the Government needs to play an active role in securing economic justice for all American citizens

• He created a 21 point program

Fair Deal Cont.

• Truman ran into tremendous political opposition

• One measure that was passed was the Employment Act of 1946

• Truman lost a lot of support during the 1946 mid-term elections

Truman on Civil Rights

• He recognized that he had to take action on Civil Rights

• He publicly supported civil rights

• Change came very slowly

• Met with African American leaders in 1946

• Created the biracial Committee on Civil Rights in December of 1946• They were in charge of looking into race relations

The Election of 1948

• Truman ran for another term

• His popularity diminished in his own party

• Southern democrats broke off and created the Dixiecrat Party and nominated J. Strom Thurmond

• Progressive Party was headed by Henry Wallace

• Republican was Thomas E. Dewey

1948 Election Results

• All experts and polls had Dewey winning the election

• Truman won in a big upset

• Democrats won control of Congress

• Truman finally was able to step out of FDR’s shadow

1952/Eisenhower becomes President

• Dwight Eisenhower was the commander in chief of the Allied forces

• Known as Ike

• During WWII, he forged agreements among Allied military commanders

• Easy going charm

• K1C2 strategy by the Republicans

The Checkers Speech• In response to allegations that Eisenhower’s running mate,

Richard Nixon, was using a special fund• Accused of receiving illegal gifts

• Nixon had done nothing wrong

• People wanted Ike to dump Nixon from his ticket

• He gave a speech denying these allegations

• He told Americans to contact the Eisenhower campaign to say if he should stay on the ticket or not

• He got overwhelming support to stay on the ticket

Eisenhower as President• He wanted to work behind the

scenes

• Critics thought this meant he lacked leadership

• The American people approved of his style

• In the 1956 election Dwight Eisenhower won and was reelected• Defeated IL Governor Adlai

Stevenson in both elections

Modern Republicanism

• “Conservative when it comes to money, liberal when it comes to human beings”

• Priorities included cutting spending, reducing taxes, and balancing the budget• Smaller government, opposite direction of FDR & Truman

• He was in favor of big business• Cabinet members were businessmen• “8 millionaires & a plumber”

• But…• In 1954 and 1956 Social Security was extended to make 10 million more

workers eligible • Minimum wage increased from 75 cents to $1

Eisenhower’s Presidency

• His attempts to cut gov’t spending backfired

• The economy slumped; growth slowed

• The deficit grew

• Economic recession in 53-54, 57, & 60-61

Meeting the Technology Challenge

• In response to Sputnik the US government created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

• Congress passed and Eisenhower signed into law the National Defense Education Act• Designed to improve science and

math instruction in the schools

• Low-cost loans to college students if they became teachers