Domestic Policyin Post War America

Truman and Eisenhower

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President Harry Trumanand the Post War Demobilization

• Took office after Roosevelt’s death in April 1945

• Challenges…– Inflation (rising prices)– Labor strikes– Minorities & women

workers lost jobs

Election of 1948

Look at the picture on your 1948 Election Packet…

1948 Election – Electoral Map

Give ‘em hell,

Harry

Truman’s Domestic Agenda: Fair Deal“Every segment of our population…

has a right to expect from our government a fair deal”

• Goals - Reform programs to aid the transition from a wartime

to peacetime economy– Full employment– Higher Minimum wage– National Health insurance– Affordable Housing– Increased aid to farmers– Expansion of Welfare benefits

Truman’s Domestic Agenda: Fair Deal“Every segment of our population…

has a right to expect from our government a fair deal”

• Accomplishments- Extension of the New Deal:

- Increase in minimum wage- Increase in aid to agriculture and education- Expansion of Social Security benefits

• Agenda frustrated (not much passed) by Congress

Food for Thought…Why didn’t Truman run for re-election

in the 1952 Election?

Hint: consider what was going on at this time (at home and abroad).

The Election of 1952The first use of political advertising

1952 Election The election of 1952 was the first election

where presidential commercials

ever aired, at a time when Americans

were not used to seeing

candidates on television .

The election of 1952 was the first election

where presidential commercials

ever aired, at a time when Americans

were not used to seeing

candidates on television .

The Affluent Society

What are the differences between liberals and

conservatives?

Eisenhower’s Domestic Policy: Dynamic Conservatism

“Conservative when it comes to money and liberal when it comes to people”

Liberal Agenda“Expanding the Government”- Expanded social security

and unemployment benefits

- Increased minimum wage

- Established Department of Health, Education and Welfare

- Supported largest increase in educational funding

Liberal Agenda“Expanding the Government”- Expanded social security

and unemployment benefits

- Increased minimum wage

- Established Department of Health, Education and Welfare

- Supported largest increase in educational funding

Conservative Agenda“Reducing the Government”- Eliminated

government jobs

- Cut federal budget

- Cut farm subsidies

- Turned over federal land to the States

Conservative Agenda“Reducing the Government”- Eliminated

government jobs

- Cut federal budget

- Cut farm subsidies

- Turned over federal land to the States

Modern Republicanism was Eisenhower’s Policy that stated he would be conservative with money and liberal with human beings; because the policy

addressed liberal and conservative agendas, it was popular with many

Americans.

Truman Eisenhower

Fair Deal

Desegregated Military

Proposed NationalHealth Care Insurance

Liberal

National Housing Act“Dynamic Conservative”

Abolished RFC

Cut funding to TVA

Federal Highway Act

Cut Taxes

Ended government price & rent controls

Min. Wage

SSA benefits

Accepted New Deal

GI Bill