Changing Political Environment, 1917-80

• Impact of World War OneOverview

  • Damaged Wilson’s reputation, influenced rise of Republicanism
  • Economic problems.
  • Anti-communist views arose.
• Return to Normalcy

  • Event - 1921 - Harding is President & suggested ‘normalcy’
  • Context - Normalcy - stable, steady way of life reverting to the way things were prior to the war.
  • Event - Short, sharp economic depression 
  • Example - Unemployment went from 950k in 1919 to 5.01 mil in 1921 - lots of social discontent
  • Consequence - Said govt had to balance its books, reduce taxation and introduce tariffs to protect US industry.
• Discontent of the Democrats

  • Event - Wilson took the US to war, an extremely unpopular decision.
  • Consequences - Negative impact on economy with US into a depression but strengthened international relations.
  • Event - Wilson wanted to be involved in law-making.
  • Context - Fusion of executive and legislative branches = president in more power.
  • Consequences - Impacted popularity of democrats = losing next election.
• Appeal of Republicanism

  • Event - Patriotism due to increase in American goods and impact of Harding’s intent.
  • Event - Economy - Post-war depression, unemployment rose, protests & riots.
  • Consequence - Coolidge reign - boom however due to laissez faire style = flaws = contribution to Great Depression.
  • Event - Capitalism Ideology - Republicans mainly followed to improve economy
  • Example - Harding promoted American goods and increased trade. 
  • Consequence - Significant, as the capitalist ideology was the foundation of many of their policies.
• Isolationism


  A policy of remaining apart from the affairs or interests of other nations, especially the political and economic affairs of other nations
• Republicans


  • Reduced number of immigrants coming into the country to 357,000 a year but was revised to 150,000 a year in 1924
• Isolationism


  • Restriction to immigration
  • Tariffs (Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act) - tax on imported goods to prevent Americans buying them and switching to domestic
  • Not joining 'League of Nations' or setting up colonies
• Reduced number of immigrants coming into the country to 150,000 a year


  1924
• Congress


  • Between 1935 and 1939, Congress also passed a series of Neutrality Acts that restricted the help the USA could give to other countries if they went to war
• Rugged Individualism

  • Context - ‘Laissez-faire’ - inaction of gov = people more responsibility.
  • Consequence - ‘Rugged individualism’ theory - Belief that people weakened by govt as sapped self-reliance = no gov intervention; US isolate & reduce immigration where they contribute to the nation's economy and not gain better lives.
• First Red Scare


  1919-20
• First Red Scare caused by

  Russia's fall of Tsardom and rise of Communism
• Consequence of First Red Scare

  Domino effect in the proletariats (workers) against bourgeoisie (capitalist masters), fear of Communism in the USA, particularly when workers began to strike in large numbers
• The Great Depression

  • Context - Stock market crash 1929 = major depression, increasing unemployment
  • Consequences - 1930 President Emergency Committee for employment organisation (temporary) to find work projects for the unemployed (overwhelming). Use Federal intervention = unpopularity.
  • Evidence - Overwhelming - last year of his presidency, the government received $2000 million and spent over $5000 million.
• Conditions of workers after WWI didn’t improve

  • 3,600 strikes, 1 in 4 workers on strike, 21st January 1919: 35,000 shipyard workers went on strike, escalated in February to a general strike of 60,000, CPUSA and CLP formed, Trade unions, Anarchists handed out pamphlets urging for a revolution
• Importance of First Red Scare

  Origins of Communism in America, shift from strict Liberalism to potential Communism in America
• 'Red Hunting' began


  People started to accuse each other of being Communist
• Violence in some parts of the country

  • Ku Klux Klan (KKK) targeted all groups considered 'Un-American'
• Attorney General Palmer predicted a 'Red Revolution' on 1st May 1920


  Failed to happen
• Personality of the President

  • Event - Great Depression
  • Consequence - Unwelcome change for federal intervention & blamed for economic crisis.
• The Bonus Army

  • Context - War veterans who received bonus payment based on years of service. 
  • Event - Gov refused to pay $50 in 1945 = riots.
  • Consequence - In 1932 up to 200,000 of them marched to Washington and set up camps. Troops were sent with tear gas due to fear of riots. This lost a lot of support for the republicans.
• A Changing Mood

  • Event - Roosevelt’s New Deal.
  • Context - Excellent communicator, confident, persuasive, pragmatic & understood how to manipulate Congress.
  • Consequence - Roosevelt more popular = Hoover only winning 6 states.
• Roosevelt

  • Event - Set up National Recovery Administration (NRA)
  • Consequence - enforced codes of practice for businesses, including setting working hours and minimum wage. 
  • Event - Regulation of the Agricultural Adjustment Agency (AAA) for major crops e.g. wheat, cotton and milk. 
  • Consequence of setting up his policies - Wealthy business people disliked his policies; republicans disliked his enlarging the powers of the president as did some democrats.
• Second World War

  • Event - Fireside chats
  • Consequence - Assured the public and established a connection with the public.
  • Event - USA joined the war on 8th December 1941
  • Consequence - Pulled US out of depression: Rise in employment, booted industry and farming, loss of human lives.
  • Evidence - Within a year of the war, the US had produced $47 billion worth of war goods. The war was very good for the economy but there was an extremely large human cost; 400,000 died and nearly 600,000 were wounded or captured.
• Eisenhower

  • Personality -  deliberately cultivated optimistic., friendly manner.
  • Media -  saw working with the media as important; but often minimised the problem (e.g. USSR being first into space).
  • Public - good public manner; accessible, used clear imagery in his speeches e.g. domino theory.
  • Organisational Ability - exceptional organisation; set up regular briefings and long term planning sessions. He had everyone concerned to debate a decision.
  • Congress - worked well with congress, good at political bargaining and persuasion. 
• Truman's personality
• Truman's media relationship
• Truman's public relationship
• Truman's organisational ability
• Truman and congress


  • Worked less well with congress
  • Despite the fact that there was a republican majority after 1946 (in congress), they blocked many of his reforms
  • He had fewer contacts and was less able to network and charm
• Kennedy


  Personality, media, public, organisational ability, and relationship with congress
• Personality


  • Understood the importance of charm
  • Worked hard on speech-making style and self-presentation
• Media


  • Saw working with the media as important
  • Learned names
  • Had personal chats
  • Used the television well
• Public


  • Good public manner
  • Accessible
  • Attractive
• Organisational ability


  • Poor advisors competed for attention
  • Robert Kennedy and Theodore Sorensen did much of the work and reported
  • Abandoned Eisenhower’s regular meetings for meetings when needed
  • Didn’t always consult the right people e.g. Bay of Pigs
  • Less long-term planning
• Congress


  • Worked very well with congress
  • Good at political bargaining and persuasion
  • Family connections were a big help
• Nixon


  Personality: clever, capable, suspicious, hates people disagreeing with him, makes spur-of-the-moment decisions and backtracks
• Nixon


  Distrusted the media and was very bad at managing it (Watergate)
• Nixon


  Not good with people. He worked at it but he often seemed awkward and insincere
• Organisational ability


  Reinstated the system of regular meetings and briefings with the White House staff, but he was not good at taking advice