Flashcards
American History - Kennedy - Quiz
Cards in this deck (35)
- 1How close was Kennedy's victory against Nixon in 1960?Very close!
One of the closest in history:
JFK: 49.9%
Nixon: 49.6% - 2How did television help Kennedy's win?Nixon came across badly; he was tired & recovering from an operation, whilst suffering the flu
JFK fresh & well prepared
For those watching JFK clear winner - for those listening Nixon won (more had been watching) - 3What type of President did Kennedy see himself as?A Foreign Policy President
- 4What did Kennedy make his domestic priority?Economic Growth
He saw it as essential for America to strengthen its position in the world - 5What did Kennedy believe would get the economy moving?Tax Cuts
- 6Why did it take him so long to put forward legislation for this?Faced resistance from his own party on the topic - he knew a bill would fail making him look weak
He waited til 1963 for his $10b tax cut was put to Congress - 7This bill was passed after his assassination. How do many historians & economists view this bill?Many view it as the basis of the economic success for the rest of the 1960s
- 8What did the Revenue Act do?Cut taxes for business, which gave $1b in tax credits for new equipment & investment
- 9How did Kennedy's foreign policy impact on the domestic American economy?Increased spending on defense & NASA helped encourage prosperity at home
Major factor in the sustained economic growth 1960s - 10What did Kennedy promise to do by 1969? What steps did he take to achieve this?To put a man on the moon
Doubled the NASA budget - 11What helped reduce unemployment to 5.3% by the start of 1964?States were encouraged to apply for, and then spend, federal grants for housing, schools, highways etc.
He didn't allocate new money but instead encouraged federal & state authorities to spend what they could to create employment - 12What brought Kennedy into conflict with the US Steel?He asked for price and wage rises to be in line with increased productivity
Steel industry had a 3% rise in productivity & workers accepted a 2.5% wage increase
US Steel then increased its prices & other companies followed suit - 13Why did this cause problems?Steel was vital to the car and defence industries, this would lead to higher inflation
- 14How did Kennedy respond?He threatened an FBI investigation & the denial of government contracts
He also put pressure on other steel companies not to increase prices - 15How did this issue with US Steel end?Faced with a tremendous amount of pressure, US Steel backed down & inflation stayed below 1.3%
- 16What did the 1962 Manpower Development and Training Act do?Provided $435 million for school and job-based training
200,000 people went through these schemes - 17What act gave grants and loans for training, development and community facilities?1961 Area Redevelopment Act
- 18What was a negative and a positive for the 1963 Equal Pay Act?- Did not cover all women & there were no powers of enforcement
+ 171,000 women benefited & it passed with little opposition - 19Kennedy was the first President to tackle which particular issue that is huge today?Environment
Clean Air Act 1963 - limited pollution from cars & factories - 20Why was Kennedy slow to act on Civil Rights?1. Victory in election narrow
2. Opinion polls showed Americans favoured gradual approach
3. Polls showed Civil Rights at bottom of list of voter concerns
4. He needed Dixiecrat support - 21What did the EEOC aim to do & how successful was it in achieving this?Aimed to ensure fair employment for federal employees
It succeeded in promoting greater equality at an aircraft plant but otherwise met with limited successs - 22How did the Justice Department help with civil rights under Kennedy?They believed that legal challenges were the way to improve civil rights
Brought 57 suits against obstructions to Black voting (only 6 under Ike)
They helped speed up desegregation in New Orleans, Atlanta, Memphis - 23How did Kennedy and American's react to the Freedom Rides of 1961?63% of Americans opposed them
JFK reluctant to act against the mobs that attacked the protesters - he feared upset from Dixiecrats whilst felt that the rides were unpatriotic as they publicised domestic issues to the rest of the world (USSR) - 24How did Kennedy help integrate universities in Alabama in 1963?Alabama was the last state to start desegregating its universities
Kennedy sent in National Guard
Kennedy declared black inequality immoral, referenced the Bible & constitution - 25How did Kennedy react to the March on Washington 1963?Was opposed - saw it as criticism of his civil rights record
Feared it'd antagonise Congress - jeopardise Civil Rights bill
Eventually endorsed the march - 26What sort of critique did Kennedy gain for his involvement in the March on Washington?Some argued he had taken over the March
Malcolm X called it the 'farce on Washington' - 27Who was Dean Rusk & Robert McNamara?Kennedy's Secretary of State
Kennedy's Defence Secretary - 28How much was the defence budget increased in 1961?By 15%
- 29How much did ICBMs increase between 1961 to 1963?1961 - 63
1963 - 424 - 30What was the Peace Corps?Established in 1961
Young people volunteered to work in poor areas of the world
Aim was that LEDCs would be deterred from looking for Communist aid - 31What was the 'Brain Drain'?4,000 people a day were using it as an escape route from East to West
These were often skilled & educated workers
Caused economic problems for East - 32How did Khrushchev try an solve this issue?Met with Kennedy in Vienna - June 1961
JFK refused to end free movement
Khrushchev raised the same ultimatum he gave Ike - Kennedy stood firm
Berlin Wall was created - 33What were the main consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis?Closest the world had been to WWIII
Both sides realised relations needed improvement = Detente period
'Hotline' between Washington & Moscow
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty - USSR, USA, UK - future testing underground to stop fallout - 34What was the issue with Laos under Kennedy?After the Geneva Accords, North hadn't fully withdrawn from Laos
JFK had to be cautious - feared Chinese provocation
The North never did withdraw & so this had a major impact for later; the key Ho Chi Minh trail remained open - 35Why was the Ho Chi Minh trail so important?It was the main supply route from North to South Vietnam
Its continued effectiveness was a key reason why America was never able to win the conflict
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- A-Level Unit 2Q - Prosperity, Inequality And Superpower Status
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- Courtney Ward
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