JFK pursued an ambitious domestic and foreign policy agenda during his presidency from 1961 to 1963. Some of his key goals and policies included increasing education funding, creating a health insurance program for the elderly, establishing the Department of Housing and Urban Development, putting a man on the moon, intensifying the Cold War against communism through military buildup and confrontation with the Soviet Union over issues like Cuba and Berlin, increasing America's role in Vietnam as part of containing communism in Southeast Asia, and promoting economic growth and civil rights at home. However, his presidency was cut short when he was assassinated in November 1963.

1. JFK

4. “New Frontier” Goals
• Increase education aid
• Health insurance for
elderly
• Create Dept of Urban
Affairs (later HUD)
• Help migrant workers
• Man on the moon by
1970

5. Kennedy Intensifies the
Cold War
• John F. Kennedy = "Cold Warrior"
• Advisors urge hard line against Communism
• Fear of “missile gap”

8. Flexible Response
• Arms buildup
• Conventional armed forces
• US nuclear arsenal reaches peak
• Special Forces (Green Berets), CIA
• U.S. strength tempted Kennedy to
challenge U.S.S.R.

9. Crisis over Berlin

10. Containment in Southeast Asia
• JFK saw Vietnam as focus of U.S.-Soviet
rivalry
• Sent 16,000 American military "advisors”

11. 1959: Cuban Revolution

12. Containing Castro:
The Bay of Pigs Fiasco

13. Containing Castro:
The Cuban Missile Crisis

14. Containing Castro:
The Cuban Missile Crisis
• Political
• Popularity with gen. public , hardliners 
• Dems. gain seats in Congress (later impact
for LBJ)
• Diplomatic effects
• Cold War moves away from the “brink”
• Soviet military and nuclear buildup

15. Economic Advance
• Economic stimulation –
Keynesian Economics
• Increased space and
defense spending

16. A Marshall Plan for Latin
America?
• Thwart Latin American communist expansion
• Alliance for Progress
• Designed to counter communist movements
• $20 b. for schools, housing, health care

17. The Peace Corps

18. "I Have a Dream"
• May 1963: Birmingham, AL
protests
• JFK supports African-
Americans
• Asked Congress for Civil
Rights Act
• Aug 1963: March on
Washington

19. The Supreme Court and
Reform
• Defendants’ rights in criminal cases -
Miranda vs. Arizona
• Engle vs. Vitale banned school prayer

20. "Let Us Continue"
• Nov 22, 1963: JFK
assassinated by Lee
Harvey Oswald
• Lyndon B. Johnson
promised to continue
JFK programs