Eisenhowers Politics - Essay Example

Eisenhower’s Politics Eisenhower became President of the United s at a time when society was changing very fast. After the traumas of the Great Depression in the 1930s and the Second World War which ended in 1945, the country was experiencing a period of economic growth. Eisenhower’s first presidency between 1953 and 1961 focused on job creation through the New Deal policies which he had inherited from his predecessor. One of his most famous achievements is the building of a nationwide roads network, creating jobs and enhancing the ability of different industries to move goods and supplies across long distances.

This turned out to be the largest public works project in history. (Davidson et al., 2005, p. 830) A similar project to open up the Great Lakes for transport improved the infrastructure for trade with Canada.At the same time Eisenhower’s push for jobs created more opportunities for women to join the workforce, and his support for mechanisms like unemployment insurance and a minimum wage, usually associated with Democrat politicians rather than Eisenhower’s Republican party also contributed to the welfare and stability of the workforce.

He managed the country through a short recession by keeping expenditure in check. Eisenhower allowed moderate policies to prevail, and encouraged a steady growth which Democrats and Republicans could both agree with. By avoiding right-wing extremes he kept his opponents on board and this is what is meant by his politics of consensus.ReferencesDavidson et al, (2005) Nation of Nations: A Concise Narrative of the American Republic. Fourth Edition. McGraw-Hill Companies, pp. 826-856.