THE MEANING AND LEGACY OF THE KENNEDY ELECTION - Assignment Example

number The Meaning and Legacy of the Kennedy Election The liberal intellectuals of the postwar periodstand for justice, freedom, and capacity for self-expression. Their principle appears in striving for changing of the status system of the United States, which becomes the key critique of American society. In fact, the power of dollar as determining factor for people‘s division into the poor and rich, as well as corresponding subjective treatment of them is the underlying moment of the liberal intellectuals’ opposition.

The main difference between the liberal intellectuals and the intellectuals and radicals of the previous era is in their peaceful way of gaining the power, not revolutionary one, for their major doctrine is rights and freedoms of man as key value and legal platform of social order. One of the major events in the late 1950s that awakened the nation is the struggle for the rights of blacks headed by prophet Martin Luther King, which has gradually begun to gain popularity in the society of whites.

  1960 appears to be the year of John F. Kennedy becoming the President of America due to several reasons, namely: support of the great number of registered Democrats (for economic recession of Republicans), as well as one of Catholics; focusing of his efforts on densely populated States of the North-East; benefit of well-financed campaign, and television translation. Kennedy’s campaign platform has contained the program of socio-economic reforms, forward to new frontier, including reduction of taxation, adoption of a series of legislative measures to ensure the civil rights of colored people, health insurance for the elderly, raising the minimum wage, monopoly control, and acceleration of the pace of economic development.

The major events determined the elections are participation of voters from two new states of America, that is, Hawaii and Alaska, as well as public advocacy of electoral campaign by both presidential candidates. “An unprecedented series of four television debates between the two nominees constituted the highlight of the campaign” (Levy).  As for the major political and economic policies of Eisenhower administration, they are characterized by the concept of creating of favorable state framework for individual economic activities, the end of the practice of persecution for leftist persuasion, and putting a stake on achieving nuclear superiority over the USSR (the Eisenhower’s administration General line of foreign policy of the USA).

Works CitedLevy, Michael. United States Presidential Election of 1960. Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2014. Retrieved Apr. 18 from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1579694/United-States-presidential-election-of-1960/286002/The-general-election-campaign