post ww ii presidents

Post WW II Presidents: 

Post WW II Presidents 1948-2004

1948: 

1948 Truman (D) v. Dewey (R) v. Thurmond (States’ Rights) Demo’s split; Southerners formed States’ Rights (Dixie-crat) Party Truman won narrow victory

Truman’s Domestic Policy Highlights: 

Truman’s Domestic Policy Highlights “Fair Deal” (domestic program) Taft-Hartley Act –reduced power of labor unions Defense Dept reorganized/renamed Integration of U.S. military Truman progressive on civil rights – alienated members of his own party (Southern Demo’s)

Truman’s Foreign Policy Highlights: 

Truman’s Foreign Policy Highlights Decision to drop atomic bomb 1945 Beginning of Cold War: Truman Doctrine (’47) Marshall Plan (’48) Berlin Airlift (’48-49) Formation of NATO (’49) China became communist (’49) Korean War began (’50-53) “Red Scare” began

Elections of 1952 & ‘56: 

Elections of 1952 & ‘56 1952: Eisenhower (R) v. Stevenson (D) 1956: Eisenhower (R) v. Stevenson (D) Eisenhower won both elections

Eisenhower’s Domestic Policy Highlights: 

Eisenhower’s Domestic Policy Highlights “Modern Republicanism” Post-war economic prosperity Brown v. Bd of Edu decision (’54) Little Rock, Ark. desegregation (’57) Red Scare / McCarthyism Nat’l Defense & Education Act (’58) Alaska & Hawaii statehood (’59)

Eisenhower’s Foreign Policy Highlights: 

Eisenhower’s Foreign Policy Highlights Korean War ended w/ armistice (’53) Dienbienphu ‘54 – U.S. “advisors” sent to Vietnam Suez Crisis/Eisenhower Doctrine (’56) Sputnik launched by Soviets (’57) Castro overthrew Batista in Cuba (’59) U-2 Incident (’60)

Election of 1960: 

Election of 1960 Kennedy (D) v. Nixon (R) Kennedy won by a narrow margin His Catholicism worked against him First televised Presidential debates – benefited Kennedy & probably swayed election in his favor

Kennedy’s Domestic Policy Highlights: 

Kennedy’s Domestic Policy Highlights Domestic program called “New Frontier” Peace Corps established in 1961 Progressive on Civil Rights – pushed for Civil Rights Act of 1964 Space Race – called for a man on the moon by end of decade Assassinated in 1963 by Lee Harvey Oswald – Warren Commission determined there was no conspiracy

Kennedy’s Foreign Policy Highlights: 

Kennedy’s Foreign Policy Highlights Bay of Pigs invasion (Apr ’61) failed attempt by anti-Castro rebels to depose him Cuban Missile Crisis (Oct ’62) Soviet missiles in Cuba; USSR backed down Increased # of American advisors in South Vietnam Berlin Crisis / Berlin Wall construction began (’63)

Election of 1964: 

Election of 1964 L. Johnson (D) v. Goldwater (R) Johnson won (Kennedy’s VP) Did not seek reelection in 1968 due to divisions over Vietnam

Johnson’s Domestic Policy Highlights: 

Johnson’s Domestic Policy Highlights Warren Commission determined no conspiracy in Kennedy assassination Domestic program “Great Society” – extension of New Deal type programs Medicare & Medicaid created “War on Poverty” declared “Head Start” program started Civil Rights Act of 1964 Voting Rights Act of 1965

Johnson’s Foreign Policy Highlights (lowlights): 

Johnson’s Foreign Policy Highlights (lowlights) Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam Tonkin Gulf Resolution (’64) authorized action in Vietnam 1st ground (combat) troops sent in ‘65 Continued to escalate involvement Bombing of N. Vietnam Tet Offensive (’68) – public opinion began to turn against war

Elections of 1968 & ‘72: 

Elections of 1968 & ‘72 1968 Nixon (R) v. Humphrey (D) v. Wallace (Am Indep) Nixon won 1972 Nixon (R) v. McGovern (D) Nixon won Watergate break in occurred during reelection campaign

Nixon’s Domestic Policy Highlights: 

Nixon’s Domestic Policy Highlights Ran on “Law and Order” platform Inflation; gov’t controls of econ. Anti-war protests 26th Amendment – 18 yr old vote (’71) Oil Embargo (’73) (Six Day War) Watergate Scandal Nixon resigned in 1974; Ford became President and pardoned Nixon

Nixon’s Foreign Policy Highlights: 

Nixon’s Foreign Policy Highlights Secretary of State Henry Kissinger “Vietnamization”– turned responsibility for war over to S. Vietnamese Secret (illegal) invasion of Cambodia Paris Peace Talks – withdrew American troops from Vietnam Détente w/ Soviet Union and China Visited China (’72) SALT I Treaty w/ Soviets (’72) – limit arms buildup

Election of 1976: 

Election of 1976 Jimmy Carter (D) v. Gerald Ford (R) Carter won Benefited from distrust caused by Vietnam and Watergate Promised to restore honesty and public’s confidence in national government

Carter’s Domestic Policy Highlights: 

Carter’s Domestic Policy Highlights Economic instability: inflation and energy crisis Federal budget cuts Deregulation of industries began Granted amnesty to Vietnam War “draft dodgers”

Carter’s Foreign Policy Highlights: 

Carter’s Foreign Policy Highlights Panama Canal Treaty ratified (’78) Camp David Accords negotiated between Egypt and Israel (’78) Recognition of Communist China (’79) SALT II Treaty v/ Soviets (’79) USSR invaded Afghanistan (’79); U.S. boycotted Moscow Olympics (’80) Iran-Hostage Crisis (Nov ’79-Jan ’80)

Elections of 1980 & 1984: 

Elections of 1980 & 1984 1980: Reagan (R) v. Carter (D) 1984: Reagan (R) v. Mondale (D) Reagan won both by wide margin

Reagan’s Domestic Policy Highlights: 

Reagan’s Domestic Policy Highlights Ushered in “Conservative Revolution” “Reaganomics” – supply side economics adopted – tax cuts Deregulation of industries continued (energy, transportation, banking) 1981 survived assassination attempt Huge federal deficits built up Stock Market crash (’87)

Reagan’s Foreign Policy Highlights: 

Reagan’s Foreign Policy Highlights Significant increase in defense spending SDI – Strategic Defense Initiative (“Star Wars”) proposed (not adopted) U.S. troops sent to Lebanon as peacekeepers – barracks bombed ’83 U.S. troops sent to Grenada (’83) Iran-Contra Scandal (’86) INF Treaty w/ USSR (’87)

Election of 1988: 

Election of 1988 GHW Bush (R) v. Dukakis (D) Bush won; had been Reagan’s VP

Bush’s Domestic Policy Highlights: 

Bush’s Domestic Policy Highlights Cuts in size of federal gov’t Tax hike – broke his campaign pledge of “Read my lips; no new taxes” ’91-92 economic recession

Bush’s Foreign Policy Highlights: 

Bush’s Foreign Policy Highlights 1989 Berlin Wall fell – Cold War ended ’89-90 START I Treaty w/ Soviet Union Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and Persian Gulf War 1991

Elections of 1992 & 1996: 

Elections of 1992 & 1996 1992: Clinton (D) v. Bush (R) v. Perot (I) 1996: Clinton (D) v. Dole (R) Clinton won both elections 1992 Perot siphoned votes away from Bush – helped give Clinton victory

Clinton’s Domestic Policy Highlights: 

Clinton’s Domestic Policy Highlights Federal spending cuts and tax increases – left office w/ budget surplus Welfare reform – “welfare to work” Congress raised min. wage Scandals: Whitewater; Lewinsky Impeached in ’98 - acquitted

Clinton’s Foreign Policy Highlights: 

Clinton’s Foreign Policy Highlights Expansion of NATO Middle East peace agreements PLO & Israel ; Israel & Jordan ’93 U.S. peacekeeping troops to Somalia – “Black Hawk Down” ’93 EU (European Union) formed ’95 Balkan War – U.S. bombing of targets in Bosnia; peace talks Free trade reappeared: NAFTA & GATT agreements; WTO established

Election of 2000: 

Election of 2000 G W Bush (R) v. Gore (D) Disputed election in Florida; Bush awarded victory in the state and therefore won Electoral College majority (Gore won popular vote)

Election of 2004: 

Election of 2004 Bush (R) v. Kerry (D) Bush won narrow victory; this time Ohio was deciding state