Sunday, June 1, 2008

Truman Notes

I. The Election

1. The Postwar Environment (postwar assumptions; economic transformations; Truman difficulties—cabinet, confidence, “To Err is Truman”; Republican midterm election—role of far right; Taft-Hartley and the battle against labor; Nixon and HUAC; foreign policy complications—Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, National Security Act, emergence of Wallace candidacy)

2. New Patterns (the Republican race: Dewey, Stassen, and the role of primaries; Oregon and CPUSA debate; Dewey-Taft showdown; Democratic discord: Wallace, Isaacson, and origins of ADA—“vital center”; Pepper, FDR, Jr., and alternatives?: Douglas, Eisenhower; Humphrey and Philadelphia convention; Truman renomination and Thurmond defection)

3. 1948 and American Political Culture (Dewey strategizing; role of public opinion polls; decline of Wallace—Czech coup, subsequent tensions, growing CP role in campaign; Thurmond and limited effort; Truman approach—Clifford memorandum, barnstorming style, populism; Democratic surge—congressional gains)

II. The Aftermath

1. Fair Deal (Truman and American liberalism; health care and AMA—emergence of interest group politics; “socialized medicine” and Cold War; FELP and unintended consequences of anti-communist crusade; Korea and constitutional crises—decision to send troops, Youngstown Steel)

2. The Backlash (Pat McCarran and American politics; internal security, immigration, and battle for American culture; origins of McCarthyism—McCarthy background, partisan environment, changing nature of Senate, path to Wheeling address, Tydings Committee and Senate response; 1950 elections—Tydings defeat, Nixon triumph, origins of McCarthy myth)

3. Beyond 1950 (Truman and race—integration of army, origins of Brown; question of corruption; Korean stalemate, MacArthur dismissal, and constitutional crisis; Kefauver challenge and Truman withdrawal; road to Stevenson; GOP divisions—Taft, Eisenhower, Lodge, and foreign policy; Eisenhower nomination, Nixon and “Checkers” speech; Eisenhower victory—Lodge setback in Massachusetts, Goldwater triumph in Arizona)

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