Domestic Issues and Events - Red Scare Part 2
House Un-American Activities Commission
An investigative committee of the United
States House of Representatives. It was
originally created in 1938 to uncover citizens
with Nazi ties within the United States.
However, it has become better known for its
role in investigating alleged disloyalty and
subversive activities on the part of private
citizens, public employees, and those
organizations suspected of having
communist ties.
• In 1947, the committee held nine days of
hearings into alleged communist
propaganda and influence in the
Hollywood motion picture industry
• In late July 1948, the committee heard
testimony from Elizabeth Bentley, an
American who had been working as a
Soviet agent in New York.
• Among those whom she named as
communists were Harry Dexter White and
Whittaker Chambers. The committee
subpoenaed Chambers for early August
1948. Chambers, too, was a former Soviet
spy, by then foreign desk editor of Time
magazine. Chambers cited the names of
more than a half dozen government
officials including White as well as Alger Hiss
(and Hiss's brother Donald).
• According to the Moynihan Commission on
Government Secrecy, the complicity of
both Alger Hiss and Harry Dexter White is
conclusively proven by the Venona Papers
(Secret project that intercepted Soviet
secret transmissions to spies located in the
U.S.) stating "The complicity of Alger Hiss of
the State Department seems settled. As
does that of Harry Dexter White of the
Treasury Department."
McCarthyism
During the McCarthy era, thousands of
Americans were accused of being
communists or communist sympathizers and
became the subject of aggressive
investigations and questioning before
government or private-industry panels,
committees and agencies.
The primary targets of such suspicions were
government employees, those in the
entertainment industry, educators and union
activists. Suspicions were often given
credence despite inconclusive or
questionable evidence, and the level of
threat posed by a person's real or supposed
leftist associations or beliefs was often greatly
exaggerated. Many people suffered loss of
employment and/or destruction of their
careers; some even suffered imprisonment.
Most of these punishments came about
through trial verdicts later overturned, laws
that would be declared unconstitutional,
dismissals for reasons later declared illegal or
actionable, or extra-legal procedures that
would come into general disrepute.
In the wake of the downfall of Senator
McCarthy (who never served in the House,
nor HUAC), the prestige of HUAC began a
gradual decline beginning in the late 1950s.
By 1959, the committee was being
denounced by former President Harry S.
Truman as the "most un-American thing in the
country today.
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Domestic Issues and Events - Prosperity
One Cause: The Servicemen's Readjustment Act (1944)
While World War II was still being fought, the Department of Labor
estimated that, after the war, 15 million men and women who had been
serving in the armed services would be unemployed. To reduce the
possibility of postwar depression brought on by widespread
unemployment, the National Resources Planning Board, a White House
agency, studied postwar manpower needs as early as 1942 and in June
1943 recommended a series of programs for education and training. The
American Legion designed the main features of what became the
Serviceman's Readjustment Act and pushed it through Congress. The bill
unanimously passed both chambers of Congress in the spring of 1944.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it into law on June 22, 1944.
This act provided tuition, subsistence, books and supplies,
equipment, and counseling services for veterans to continue their
education in school or college. Within the following 7 years,
approximately 8 million veterans received educational benefits. Under
the act, approximately 2,300,000 attended colleges and universities,
3,500,000 received school training, and 3,400,000 received on-the-job
training. The number of degrees awarded by U.S. colleges and universities
more than doubled between 1940 and 1950, and the percentage of
Americans with bachelor degrees, or advanced degrees, rose from 4.6
percent in 1945 to 25 percent a half-century later.
By 1956, when it expired, the education-and-training portion of the
GI Bill had disbursed $14.5 billion to veterans—but the Veterans
Administration estimated the increase in Federal income taxes alone
would pay for the cost of the bill several times over. By 1955, 4.3 million
home loans had been granted, with a total face value of $33 billion.
In addition, veterans were responsible for buying 20 percent of all
new homes built after the war. The results rippled through the rest of the
economy; there would be no new depression—just unparalleled
prosperity for a generation.
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=76
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Domestic Issues and Events - Prosperity
Another Cause: Booms
Historians use the word 'boom" to describe a lot of things about the
1950s: the booming economy, the booming suburbs and most of all the
so-called "baby boom." This boom began in 1946, when a record number
of babies–3.4 million–were born in the United States. About 4 million
babies were born each year during the 1950s. In all, by the time the boom
finally tapered off in 1964, there were almost 77 million "baby boomers."
Between 1945 and 1960, the gross national product more than
doubled, growing from $200 billion to more than $500 billion. Much of this
increase came from government spending: The construction of interstate
highways and schools, the distribution of veterans’ benefits and most of
all the increase in military spending–on goods like airplanes and new
technologies like computers–all contributed to the decade's economic
growth. Rates of unemployment and inflation were low, and wages were
high. Middle-class people had more money to spend than ever–and,
because the variety and availability of consumer goods expanded along
with the economy, they also had more things to buy.
The baby boom and the suburban boom went hand in hand. Almost
as soon as World War II ended, developers such as William Levitt (whose
"Levittowns" in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania would become
the most famous symbols of suburban life in the 1950s) began to buy land
on the outskirts of cities and use mass production techniques to build
modest, inexpensive tract houses there. The G.I. Bill subsidized low-cost
mortgages for returning soldiers, which meant that it was often cheaper
to buy one of these suburban houses than it was to rent an apartment in
the city.
The prosperity of the 1950s did not touch all Americans, however.
Even as the nation prospered and the middle class did well, something
like 25% of citizens lived in poverty (then defined as an annual income
under $3,000 for a family of four). Much of this poverty was said to be
"invisible;" it affected blacks in urban neighborhoods and whites in
depressed rural areas like the Appalachian Mountains. Poverty amid
plenty was another paradox of the Fifties.
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=76
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Domestic Issues and Events - Reactions to the Cold War
Draft
26th Amendment
With the increase of the
American presence in
Vietnam, the drafting of
men into the armed services
was instituted.
During the Vietnam conflict,
over 3,000,000 Americans
served in the conflict.
Lowered the voting age
from 21 to 18 to lower the
argument that 18 year olds
were being drafted without
the ability to vote for those
who drafted them.
Role of the Media
The Vietnam War was the
first televised war. Previously,
people on the Homefront
depended on newsreels in
theaters and reports on the
radio.
The media outlets would
send reporters into combat
zones. This caused a decline
in popularity for the conflict
and promoted the counterculture movement.
Reactions to the Vietnam War
Term used to describe the
general public's lack of
support regarding his
policies towards Vietnam.
Credibility Gap
President Nixon used this
term to describe a large
number of Americans who
supported the American
efforts in Vietnam, but were
overpowered by the
attention that was given to
the media and the counterculture movement
Peace movement / protests
against the Vietnam War.
Opposition consisted mainly
of peaceful, non-violent
events; few events were
deliberately provocative
and violent. In a some cases
police used violent tactics
against demonstrators. By
1970 a steadily increasing
majority of Americans
considered US military
involvement in Vietnam a
mistake.
Silent Majority
Anti-War Movement
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Domestic Issues and Events - Reactions to the Vietnam War
Gulf of Tonkin Act
It is of historical significance because
it gave U.S. President Lyndon B.
Johnson authorization, without a
formal declaration of war by
Congress, for the use of
"conventional'' military force in
Southeast Asia.
Specifically, the resolution authorized
the President to do whatever
necessary in order to assist "any
member or protocol state of the
Southeast Asia Collective Defense
Treaty". This included involving armed
forces.
War Powers Resolution
The War Powers Resolution requires
the President to notify Congress
within 48 hours of committing armed
forces to military action and forbids
armed forces from remaining for
more than 60 days, with a further 30
day withdrawal period, without an
authorization of the use of military
force or a declaration of war.
Who has the power to declare war according to the Constitution?
What were the causes for the changes listed in the Gulf of Tonkin Act?
What were the causes for the changes listed in the War Powers Resolution?
How do events affect the balance of power in the National Government?
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Domestic Issues and Events - Watergate Scandal
The Watergate Scandal was a major political scandal that occurred in
the United States in the 1970s as a result of the June 17, 1972 break-in at the
Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office
complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted
cover-up of its involvement. The term Watergate has come to encompass an
array of clandestine and often illegal activities undertaken by members of the
Nixon administration. Those activities included "dirty tricks" such as bugging the
offices of political opponents and people of whom Nixon or his officials were
suspicious.
Nixon and his close aides ordered harassment of activist groups and
political figures, using the FBI, CIA, and the Internal Revenue Service. The
scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon
administration, articles of impeachment,[1] and the resignation of Republican
Richard Nixon, the President of the United States, on August 9, 1974—the only
resignation of a U.S. president to date. The scandal also resulted in the
indictment, trial, conviction, and incarceration of 43 people, dozens of whom
were Nixon's top administration officials.
The affair began with the arrest of five men for breaking and entering
into the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the
Watergate complex on June 17, 1972. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
connected cash found on the burglars to a slush fund used by the Committee
for the Re-Election of the President, the official organization of Nixon's
campaign. In July 1973, as evidence mounted against the president's staff,
including testimony provided by former staff members in an investigation
conducted by the Senate Watergate Committee, it was revealed that
President Nixon had a tape-recording system in his offices and he had
recorded many conversations.
After a protracted series of bitter court battles, the U.S. Supreme Court
unanimously ruled that the president had to hand over the tapes to
government investigators; he ultimately complied. Recordings from these
tapes implicated the president, revealing he had attempted to cover up the
questionable goings-on that had taken place after the break-in. Facing nearcertain impeachment in the House of Representatives and equally certain
conviction by the Senate, Nixon resigned the presidency on August 9, 1974. His
successor, Gerald Ford, then issued a pardon to him on September 8, 1974.
The name "Watergate" and the suffix "-gate" have since become synonymous
with political scandals in the United States and in other English- and nonEnglish-speaking nations as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal
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Domestic Issues and Events - The Environment
Environmental Protection Agency
Endangered Species Act
The United States Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is an agency of the U.S.
federal government which was created for
the purpose of protecting human health
and the environment by writing and
enforcing regulations based on laws passed
by Congress.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one
of the dozens of United States
environmental laws passed in the 1970s.
Signed into law by President Richard Nixon
on December 28, 1973, it was designed to
protect critically imperiled species from
extinction as a "consequence of economic
growth and development untempered by
adequate concern and conservation."
The EPA was proposed by President Richard
Nixon and began operation on December
2, 1970, after Nixon signed an executive
order. The order establishing the EPA was
ratified by committee hearings in the House
and Senate. The agency is led by its
Administrator, who is appointed by the
president and approved by Congress.
EPA's purpose is to ensure that:
• all Americans are protected from
significant risks to human health and the
environment where they live, learn and
work;
• national efforts to reduce environmental
risk are based on the best available
scientific information;
• federal laws protecting human health
and the environment are enforced fairly
and effectively;
• environmental protection is an integral
consideration in U.S. policies concerning
natural resources, human health,
economic growth, energy,
transportation, agriculture, industry, and
international trade, and these factors
are similarly considered in establishing
environmental policy;
• all parts of society -- communities,
individuals, businesses, and state, local
and tribal governments -- have access
to accurate information sufficient to
effectively participate in managing
human health and environmental risks;
• environmental protection contributes to
making our communities and
ecosystems diverse, sustainable and
economically productive; and
• the United States plays a leadership role
in working with other nations to protect
the global environment.
The U.S. Supreme Court found that "the
plain intent of Congress in enacting" the
ESA "was to halt and reverse the trend
toward species extinction, whatever the
cost."
The Act is administered by two federal
agencies, the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
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Domestic Issues and Events - Contract with America
As Republican Members of the House of Representatives and as citizens seeking
to join that body we propose not just to change its policies, but even more
important, to restore the bonds of trust between the people and their elected
representatives.
That is why, in this era of official evasion and posturing, we offer instead a
detailed agenda for national renewal, a written commitment with no fine print.
This year's election offers the chance, after four decades of one-party control, to
bring to the House a new majority that will transform the way Congress works.
That historic change would be the end of government that is too big, too
intrusive, and too easy with the public's money. It can be the beginning of a
Congress that respects the values and shares the faith of the American family.
Like Lincoln, our first Republican president, we intend to act "with firmness in the
right, as God gives us to see the right." To restore accountability to Congress. To
end its cycle of scandal and disgrace. To make us all proud again of the way
free people govern themselves.
On the first day of the 104th Congress, the new Republican majority will
immediately pass the following major reforms, aimed at restoring the faith and
trust of the American people in their government:
•
FIRST, require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally
to the Congress;
•
SECOND, select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a
comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
•
THIRD, cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by
one-third;
•
FOURTH, limit the terms of all committee chairs;
•
FIFTH, ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
•
SIXTH, require committee meetings to be open to the public;
•
SEVENTH, require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
•
EIGHTH, guarantee an honest accounting of our Federal Budget by
implementing zero base-line budgeting.
http://www.gvpt.umd.edu/jgloekler/documents/contract.pdf (Adapted)
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Domestic Issues and Events - Return to Conservatism
The origins of the Moral Majority can be traced to 1976, when Jerry Falwell embarked on a
series of “I Love America” rallies across the country to raise awareness of social issues
important to Falwell. The Moral Majority was a southern-oriented organization of the Christian
Right, although the Moral Majority's state chapters and political activity extended beyond the
South. After the Moral Majority's establishment, the state chapters grew quickly, with
organizations in eighteen states by 1980.
The Moral Majority was an organization made up of conservative Christian political action
committees which campaigned on issues its personnel believed were important to maintaining
its Christian conception of moral law, a conception they believed represented the opinions of
the majority of Americans (hence the movement's name). With a membership of millions, the
Moral Majority was one of the largest conservative lobby groups in the United States and at its
height, the Moral Majority claimed over four million members and over two million donors.
The Heritage Foundation is an American conservative think tank based in Washington,
D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based
on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional
American values, and a strong national defense".
The foundation took a leading role in the conservative movement during the presidency
of Ronald Reagan, whose policies drew significantly from Heritage's policy study Mandate for
Leadership. Heritage has since continued to have a significant influence in U.S. public policy
making, and is considered to be one of the most influential conservative research organizations
in the United States
Phyllis Schlafly (born August 15, 1924) is an American constitutional lawyer, conservative
activist, author, and founder of the Eagle Forum. She is known for her staunch social and
political conservatism, her opposition to modern feminism and for her campaign against the
proposed Equal Rights Amendment. Her self-published book, A Choice, Not an Echo, was
published in 1964 from her home in Alton, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from her native St.
Louis. She formed Pere Marquette Publishers company. She has co-authored books on national
defense and was highly critical of arms-control agreements with the Soviet Union.
Schlafly founded the Eagle Forum in the 1970s and the Eagle Forum Education & Legal
Defense Fund, St. Louis. As of 2013, she remains the president of both organizations and
maintains a presence on the lecture circuit. Since 1967, she has published a newsletter, the
Phyllis Schlafly Report.
The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is an American nonprofit organization
founded in 1871 that promotes firearm competency, safety, and ownership, as well as police
training, marksmanship, hunting and self-defense training in the United States. The NRA is also
one of the United States' largest certifying bodies for firearm safety training and proficiency
training courses for police departments, recreational hunting, and child firearm safety. The
organization publishes several magazines and sponsors marksmanship events featuring shooting
skill and sports.
After 1977, the organization expanded its membership by focusing heavily on political
issues and forming coalitions with conservative politicians, most of them Republicans. The NRA
successfully lobbied Congress to pass the Firearm Owners Protection Act (FOPA) of 1986 and
worked to reduce the powers of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives (ATF).
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Foreign and Domestic Policies Before 1988
Foreign Policies - Reagan Years
•
•
•
•
Marked increase in expenditures in military
spending.
Reagan Doctrine:
• Provide aid to those fighting communism
within their country.
• Nicaragua
• El Salvador
• Grenada Invasion
Increased aid and support for Middle Eastern
nations such as Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and
Egypt.
Lowering of tensions with the Soviet Union
through treaties to lower nuclear weapon
arsenals.
Domestic Policies - Reagan Years
•
•
•
•
•
•
Return to conservatism
Expansion of Nixon’s “New Federalism” by
shifting the responsibility for social welfare
programs from the federal government to
state governments.
• Cutbacks on many of Johnson’s
antipoverty programs.
• Marked increase in rate of poverty and
homlessness
Economic policy of “Reaganomics” or supplyside economics:
• Economic growth depends on increasing
the supply of goods and services.
• Lowering taxes placed on Americans will
allow them to have more money to spend
and invest.
• Companies will have more money to hire
more people and increase the amount of
supply and goods.
• More people who are employed will mean
more people who are paying taxes that
will replace the revenue of the
government.
• Lowering of governmental controls on
businesses.
Federal government ran into spending
deficits raising the national debt from $908
billion in 1980 to $2.6 trillion in 1988.
Programs such as DARE and “Just Say No”
targeted students and the dangers of using
drugs.
Restrict immigration into the United States.
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