Postwar Liberalism’s High Water MarkI. The Early 1960s – the “golden years” of postwar liberalisma. Looking ahead to the end of the Liberal Consensus…b. Two liberal icons: Presidents John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson (“JFK” and “LBJ”)i. LBJ had a firm belief that the gov’t was a tool to make life better for the common manII. “Camelot” – the Kennedy years, 1960-63a. Kennedy as myth, legend, martyr…i. Reputation for being a strong supporter of civil rights for African Americansb. Kennedy and Liberal Anticommunismi. Berlin, 19611. Berlin Wall builtii. Cuba 1960-621. Late 1950s – Cuba goes Communista. Fidel Castro2. CIA assassination attempts3. The Bay of Pigs invasion, 1961a. CIA trains Cubans to rebel against Castro with US military support4. Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962a. Soviet Union outs atomic missiles on Cuba; ends with US agreeing to remove missiles from Turkey and never invade Cuba againc. Kennedy’s domestic liberalismi. Minimum wage bill ($1.25/hr)ii. Social Security increase (tries, but fails)iii. Housing Act of 1961 (increased gov’t support)iv. Education fundingALL FAILv. Tax cuts (idea from Keynes)III. The Lyndon Johnson years, 1964-68a. Possibly most liberal president to dateb. Race1. Pushing Democrats to embrace civil rights2. Civil Rights Act of 19643. Voting Rights Act of 19654. Executive Order 11246a. Made racial discrimination illegal in businessesc. The “Great Society”i. A “New Deal” for the 1960s1. Thought the gov’t should educate poverty-stricken people to benefit from the gov’t programsii. Major Programs1. Medicare/Medicaid2. The “War on Poverty”a. Head Starti. Educational programs for underprivileged kidsb. Upward Boundi. Trained HS and college kids for employmentc. Job Corpsi. Same as Upward Boundd. VISTAi. Trained wealthy kids to go help out in poor neighborhoodse. Community Action Programsi. Gave money to local gov’ts in poor neighborhoods and had thecitizens decide what to do with itIV. Mid-1960s: liberalism is riding high…but things will
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