This document summarizes key details of United States presidential elections from 1932 to 1964. It discusses the major party candidates, incumbent presidents, economic and international issues, and outcomes of each election. The elections saw FDR elected to multiple terms during the Great Depression, Truman's upset victory in 1948, Eisenhower bringing Republican victory in 1952, and LBJ's landslide win after JFK's assassination in 1964.

1. By: Benedict Gombocz
UNITED STATES PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS OF 1932-1964

2. UNITED STATES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1932
 Held November 8, 1932; took place in
midst of Great Depression that had ruined
incumbent President Herbert Hoover’s
promise to bring about a new period of
prosperity
 Economics were dominant issue in
campaign of 1932; cultural issues that
previous elections focused on (KKK in
1924 and Catholicism in 1928) lacked
activity
 Democratic nomination went to well known
Governor of New York Franklin D.
Roosevelt (distant cousin of Theodore
Roosevelt), who had lost Democratic
nomination in 1920, but was re-elected
governor by landslide in 1930
 Theme of campaign was attack on
Hoover’s economic failures
 President before election was Republican
Herbert Hoover of California; elected
President was Democrat Franklin D.
Roosevelt of New York, who won in
landslide; this “critical election” marked
collapse of Fourth Party System of
Progressive Era

3. UNITED STATES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1936
 Held November 3, 1936; most unbalanced
presidential election in the history of the
United States
 In terms of popular vote, it was third largest
victory since election of 1820, which had
not been seriously contested
 Occurred as Great Depression entered its
eighth year; incumbent President Franklin
D. Roosevelt was still working to push
provisions of New Deal economic policy
through Congress and courts
 New Deal policies implanted, like Social
Security and unemployment benefits, had
become extremely popular with most
Americans
 Roosevelt’s Republican opponent was a
political moderate, Governor Alf Landon of
Kansas
 President before election was Democrat
Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York; elected
President was Democrat Franklin D.
Roosevelt of New York, who gained
98.49% of electoral vote and 60.8% of
national popular vote

4. UNITED STATES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1940
 Held November 5, 1940; occurred in shadow of
World War II (in Europe) as United States was
pulling out of Great Depression
 Incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt broke
with past tradition and sought third term, which
became a major issue afterwards
 Roosevelt’s surprised Republican opponent was
Wendell Willkie, maverick businessman and dark
horse who campaigned against Roosevelt’s
perceived failure to end Depression
 If re-elected, Roosevelt promised there would the
U.S. would not be involved in any foreign
conflicts; Willkie organized energetic campaign
and was strong in areas of the Midwest and
Northeast
 Roosevelt defeated Willkie and won comfortable
victory by gaining significant backing from labor
unions, big-city political machines, ethnic voters,
and traditionally Democratic Solid South
 Passing of 22nd Amendment of U.S. Constitution
in 1947 makes this only election in American
history in which a candidate was elected to third
term as president (In 1944, Roosevelt won fourth
term, but died less than four months into that
term)

5. UNITED STATES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1944
 Held November 7, 1944; occurred while
United States was preoccupied with World
War II
 Incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt
was in office longer than any president
before him, but was nevertheless still
popular
 Unlike in election of 1940, there was little
doubt that Roosevelt would seek another
term as Democratic candidate; his
Republican opponent was Governor of
New York Thomas E. Dewey
 Dewey ran energetic campaign, but as
anticipated, Roosevelt dominated
 President before election was Democrat
Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York; elected
President was Democrat Franklin D.
Roosevelt of New York
 Last election where Democrat won in every
Southern state and first election where one
of the two candidates was born in the 20th
century

6. UNITED STATES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1948
 Held November 2, 1948; is regarded
as most historians as greatest
election upset in American history
 Nearly every prediction, with or
without opinion polls, hinted that
Republican Thomas E. Dewey of New
York would defeat incumbent
President and Democrat Harry S
Truman of Missouri
 Truman won and overcame three-way
break in Democratic party; his
stunning victory was fifth consecutive
win for Democrats in a presidential
election
 With victory in 1948 congressional
election, Democrats took back control
of both houses of Congress;
therefore, Truman’s victory confirmed
Democratic Party’s status as country’s
ruling party, a status it would keep
until conservative alignment 20 years

7. UNITED STATES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1952
 Held November 4, 1952; occurred in era
when Cold War tensions between the U.S.
and the Soviet Union heightened
 Unpopular incumbent President Harry S
Truman chose not to seek second full term,
so Democrats nominated Adlai E.
Stevenson II of Illinois in Truman’s place;
Stevenson gained reputation in Illinois as
intellectual and eloquent orator
 Republicans turned to popular war hero
and General Dwight D. Eisenhower (who
led D-Day Invasion of June 6, 1944), who
won in landslide, bringing an end to 20
consecutive years of Democratic control of
White house
 At 62, Eisenhower was oldest man elected
President since James Buchanan at 65 in
1856, and the oldest until Ronald Reagan
at 69 in 1980; Truman was 60 when he
succeeded Roosevelt upon Roosevelt’s
death in April 1945, and 64 when elected to
full term in 1948
 First election in 24 years in which
Republican nominee was elected over
Democrat nominee

8. UNITED STATES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1956
 Held November 6, 1956; saw popular
incumbent Dwight D. Eisenhower seek
successful re-election against same
opponent from 1952, Adlai E. Stevenson
II
 Eisenhower was popular, but his health
became a quiet issue
 Stevenson was still popular with a group
of liberal Democrats but had no office
and no actual base; both he and
Eisenhower paid little attention to civil
rights issue
 Eisenhower ended Korean War early in
his first term and the nation was
enjoying prosperous years, which made
landslide for him unquestionable
 Last presidential election before
statehood of Alaska and Hawaii, who
take participate in their first election in
1960; also last election where one of
two major candidates was born in 19th
century

9. UNITED STATES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1960
 Held November 8, 1960
 Incumbent President Dwight D.
Eisenhower, under terms of 22nd
Amendment, was ineligible to run again;
Republicans nominated Eisenhower’s VP
Richard Nixon and Democrats nominated
Senator John F. Kennedy of
Massachusetts
 Kennedy was elected over Nixon with lead
of 112,827 votes (0.1% of popular vote),
winning him victory of 303 to 219 in
Electoral College, closest in 44 years
 Kennedy defeated Nixon because there
was an economic recession which hurt
incumbent GOP; had advantage of
registered Democrats (17 million more)
outnumbering registered Republicans
 Kennedy’s campaigning skills outmatched
Nixon’s; in the long run, Nixon’s importance
on his experience had little weight, and he
used up his energy by campaigning in all
50 states rather than focusing on swing
states

10. UNITED STATES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1964
 Held November 3, 1964; incumbent President Lyndon
B. Johnson assumed office in November of preceding
year following assassination of predecessor John F.
Kennedy
 Johnson, who was successful in identifying himself
with Kennedy’s popularity, won 61.1% of popular vote,
highest won by a candidate in 144 years
 Sixth-most unbalanced presidential election in the
history of the United States; fifth-most in terms of
popular vote
 Republican candidate, Senator Barry Goldwater of
Arizona, suffered from little endorsement from his own
party and his highly unpopular (for 1960s)
conservative political positions
 Johnson’s campaign was successful in portraying
Goldwater as a dangerous extremist, and supported
social programs which became known as Great
Society; Johnson was easily elected and won 44 of 50
states and in addition to that, the District of Columbia
 On the other hand, Goldwater’s unsuccessful bid
influenced Republican Party and modern conservative
movement; his campaign gained considerable backing
from ex-Democratic strongholds in Deep South