Eisenhower Administration

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President Eisenhower’s response to McCarthyism, Civil Rights Movement and Social Welfare programs

Dwight David Eisenhower served as the President of the United States of America for eight years between the periods of 1953 and 1961. These were amazing eight years that gave birth to a New World. The era of Eisenhower’s Presidency is identified by many Americans as the period of quietness. Americans were content and seasons were good as they no longer worried about the great crash or depression. Families bought their homes in suburbs. During these times there are other things which happened dramatically. International affairs and more specifically the Cold War threatened the occurrence of another global war. Technology advanced in ways never imagined earlier. There are other hosts of benefits that were experienced during this time. Yet still, Eisenhower did not find it easy in the Presidency as he faced many issues of considerable gravity. Some of these issues include McCarthyism, civil rights movement and social welfare programs. This essay discusses the response of President Eisenhower to McCarthyism, civil rights movement and social welfare programs.

Senator Joseph R. McCarthy was one of Eisenhower’s most difficult problems. McCarthy had been in the headlines since 1950 for his charges against Communist spies. Republicans had benefited from the charges made by McCarthy that Truman had a soft spot for communist movements. McCarthy continued with his charges even after Eisenhower had taken over power. He even suggested that the nominee of the President for ambassadorial positions were not loyal. McCarthy could not be convinced by his fellow Senators even from the Republican Party to stop his attacks on the Republican administratio...

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...ial welfare programs that had previously existed.

He was a big proponent of policies and programs aimed at helping those at the bottom of the economic ladder who needed help. He created the Department of Education, Health and Welfare and allowed the government to subsidize farmers to enable prices of farm products to be high. He also expanded social security to benefit more Americans including the unemployed and the elderly. Eisenhower also dumped federal dollars into Federal Housing Administration to enable Americans purchase new homes (Kennedy, Cohen and Thomas, 955).

Works Cited

David M. Kennedy, Lizabeth Cohen, Thomas Bailey. The American Pageant, Volume 2: Since

1865. New York: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.

Soames, JohnAshley. A history of the world from the 20th to the 21st century. New York:

Routledge, 2005. Print.

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