Retreat from the New Deal

Section 16.1

What is a backlash in political elections?

• Election of 2008

• Election of 2000

• Election of 1994

• Election of 1946

When citizens punish the incumbent government by voting against themBelow: Dick Cheney

What factors contribute to a backlash?

• Economy

– Depression or Recession

– Taxes

• Civil Rights

• Morals/Religion

• Security/Foreign Policy

• Perceived Corruption

Right: montage of controversial slogans and people

Today we will be able to identify that, following WWII, Americans turned

away from the New Deal and towards conservatism by analyzing the results of

the election of 1946/1948.

We will also be able to explain that, despite this political shift, Truman was able to win the election of 1948 to the

surprise of political experts.

Where on the political spectrum did FDR, Truman, New Deal Policies, and

Congress fall in 1945?

FDR

Truman

The New Deal

Congress

Where on the political spectrum do communism and unions fall?

FDR

Truman

The New Deal

Congress

Communism Unions

Where on the political spectrum do conservatives fall?

FDRTruman

The New Deal

Congress

Communism Unions Conservatives

Backlash

Post WWII AmericaCapture from Peter Jennings on postwar issues

Describe Truman’s plan for America:• Continue New

Deal programs• Subsidize public

housing• Institute a form of

National Health Insurance

• Fight job discrimination

• Civil Rights– Desegregated

military

Above: Truman at desk; below left: cartoon implies Truman is greedy for power; below right: headline on de-segregation of military

What hindered Truman?• Inflation

– 15% annually in late ‘40s

• Shortages– Marshall Plan

• Labor unrest

• "To Err is Truman"

• Approval ratings– 87% in 1945 – 32% in 1946

Above: cartoon implies- wordlessly- that Truman is too small for the job (dwarfed by military hat, of the sort MacArthur wore)

Why was there a Backlash in 1946?• Slow economy

– still regulated by price controls from WWII.

• Republicans (Nixon) pushed Truman to remove the price controls.

• Truman did– Result = prices soared– Strikes increased

• Red Scare• Republicans campaigned under

slogan, “Had Enough?”

Below: Nixon with HUAC lawyers

What were the results of the 1946 congressional elections?

1947 Democrat Republican

House 188 246

Senate 45 51

1946 Democrats Republican

House 243 190

Senate 57 38

Election of 1946

Why was the 80th Republican-dominated Congress called the “Do Nothing”

Congress?• Truman’s label for them

• Said conservative congress would not pass anything he proposed

• Republicans claimed they were trying to stop “government interference.”– Disliked New Deal– Wanted to control unions

Above: Truman signs law; below: President meets with civil rights advocates

What was the Taft-Hartley Bill?•Limited unions’ bargaining power, ability to strike, and requirements for union membership.

•Passed the House and Senate

•Truman vetoed the bill calling it “Slave Labor”

•Congress voted to override the presidents veto.

Who were the candidates for president in the election of 1948?

• Thomas Dewey– Republican Governor of NY– polished, well spoken

• Truman– Incumbent – Blunt, gruff– 35% approval rating – Encouraged not to run

• Strom Thurmond– Dixiecrats

• Broke away from democrats over “states rights”

• IE. Civil Rights intruding on “Southern Way of Life”

• Henry Wallace– Progressive party

• socialist

Why is important that Thurmond and Wallace ran for president? Who does it

hurt?

Election of 1948

Presentation

Truman

Truman takes to the Rails

Describe Truman’s campaign strategy• Exposed the “Do Nothing Congress”

– Had rejected civil rights, new deal reforms, and many others.

• Gave over 230 speeches– 32 thousand miles

• Republicans have no real plan• Dewey’s Pollster stopped making

phone calls a month before election• Dewey

– Only gave 16 speeches– Vague on issues (platitudes)

• Still…polled one week from election day 50 experts all predicted a Dewey victory

What were the results?

• Truman won

• Chicago Tribune (conservative paper) assumed Dewey won and printed headline early

Election Results

Should politicians do what is popular or what they think is right?