Most Americans accepted government's expanded role, even as they
disagreed about how far that expansion should continue. Democrats
wanted the government to use its power to ensure growth and
stability. They wanted to extend federal benefits for education,
health and welfare. Republicans, while accepting government's
basic and necessary responsibility, hoped to cap spending and
restore a larger measure of individual initiative.
John F. Kennedy, Democratic victor in the election of 1960, was
at 43 the youngest man ever to win the presidency. On television,
in a series of debates with opponent Richard Nixon, he appeared
able, articulate and energetic. In the campaign, he spoke of
moving aggressively into the new decade, for "the New Frontier is
here whether we seek it or not." In his first inaugural address
he concluded with an eloquent plea: "Ask not what your country
can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country."
Throughout his brief presidency, Kennedy's special combination of
grace, wit and style sustained his popularity and influenced
generations of politicians to come.
Kennedy wanted to exert strong leadership to extend economic
benefits to all citizens, but a razor-thin margin of victory
limited his mandate. Even though the Democratic Party controlled
both houses of Congress, conservative Southerners resisted plans
to increase federal aid to education, provide health insurance
for the elderly and create a new Department of Urban Affairs. And
so, despite his rhetoric, Kennedy's policies were often limited
and restrained.
One priority was to end a recession and restore growth. But
Kennedy lost the confidence of business leaders in 1962, when he
sought to roll back what the administration regarded as an
excessive price increase in the steel industry. Though he
succeeded in his immediate goal, he alienated an important source
of support. When he later called for a large tax cut to provide
capital and stimulate the economy, conservative opposition in
Congress destroyed any hopes of passing the deficit measure.
The overall legislative record of the Kennedy administration was
meager. The president made some gestures toward civil rights
leaders but did not embrace the goals of the civil rights
movement until nearly the end of his presidency. He failed in his
effort to aid public education and to provide medical care for
the elderly. He gained only a modest increase in the minimum
wage. Still, he did secure funding for a space program, and
established the Peace Corps to send men and women overseas to
assist developing countries in meeting their own needs. Kennedy
had planned an ambitious legislative program for the last year of
his term. But then on November 22, 1963, he was assassinated
while riding in an open car during a visit to Dallas, Texas. It
was a traumatic and defining moment for a generation, just as the
death of Franklin Roosevelt had been for an earlier one.
In retrospect, Kennedy's liberal reputation stems more from his
style and ideals than from the implementation of his policies;
but because the agenda set out in the last year of his presidency
was enacted in 1964-1966, he was seen as a liberal force for
change after his death.
"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia,
sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners
will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."
-- Martin Luther King Jr., 1963
By 1960 government had become an increasingly powerful force in
people's lives. During the 1930s, The White House had initiated
legislation and worked closely with Congress to ease the trauma
of the Great Depression. New executive agencies were created to
deal with many aspects of American life. The number of civilians
employed by the federal government rose from 1 million to 3.8
million during World War II, then stabilized at 2.5 million
throughout the 1950s. Federal expenditures, which had stood at
$3.1 thousand-million in 1929, increased to $75 thousand-million
in 1953 and passed $150
thousand-million in the 1960s.