Topic 16.4: Kennedy's Reforms

Equal Pay Act

1963 law that required both men and women to receive equal pay for equal work

space race

A competition of space exploration between the United States and Soviet Union.

How did television shape public opinion in the 1960 presidential debate? A. It allowed the public to evaluate candidates' appearance and demeanor. B. It allowed both candidates to target specific groups of voters. C. It provided the main public source of information about the candidates. D. It forced the candidates to avoid making biased statements.

A. It allowed the public to evaluate candidates' appearance and demeanor.

How did American space exploration affect Americans' standard of living? A. It increased access to new technologies. B. It replaced the loss of manufacturing jobs. C. It raised the per capita income for women. D. It generated funding for social programs.

A. It increased access to new technologies.

Why did President Kennedy refer to his domestic proposals as the "New Frontier"? A. He wanted to scale back social programs established in previous decades. B. He hoped to continue expanding the nation's borders. C. He wanted to inspire hope and optimism about the tasks that lay ahead. D. He hoped to strengthen the military to guard against domestic threats.

C. He wanted to inspire hope and optimism about the tasks that lay ahead.

The U.S. landing on the moon in 1969 helped A. encourage confidence in America's ability to solve economic problems. B. prove that NASA could put an astronaut into space flight around Earth. C. demonstrate American technological superiority in the space race. D. prevent the Soviet Union from landing on the moon.

C. demonstrate American technological superiority in the space race.

How did President Kennedy respond to repeated outbreaks of racially motivated violence in the early 1960s? A. He withdrew his support for major civil rights legislation to avoid angering Southern voters. B. He proposed legislation that ensured equal pay for minorities to reduce racial conflict. C. He promoted withholding federal aid as a method to force states to end segregation. D. He supported the use of the military in order to protect minority citizens' civil rights.

D. He supported the use of the military in order to protect minority citizens' civil rights.

deficit spending

Government practice of spending more than it takes in from taxes

Richard M. Nixon

He was a committee member of the House of Representatives, Committee on Un-American Activities (to investigate "subversion"). He tried to catch Alger Hiss who was accused of being a communist agent in the 1930's. This brought Nixon to the attention of the American public. In 1956 he was Eisenhower's Vice-President.

New Frontier

Kennedy's plan, supports civil rights, pushes for a space program, wants to cut taxes, and increase spending for defense and military

John F. Kennedy

President of the US during the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis

Warren Commission

committee that investigated the assassination of President Kennedy