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John Fitzgerald Kennedy In 1960 a young, energetic, and wealthy John Kennedy won the race for the White House in a highly publicized television campaign. While President Kennedy had high hopes for his legislative agenda—the New Frontier—Congress defeated a number of his propo​sals. He succeeded, however, in applying deficit spending and supply-side economics to strengthen an ailing economy. Kennedy also helped to promote women's rights, increase the minimum wage, and supply aid to distressed areas. The Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren, played a pivotal role in shaping national policy during the Kennedy years. In a series of rulings, the Court took a forceful stand on issues that affected the nation's political process, the civil liberties of individuals, and the operation of the criminal justice system.



Cold War fears challenged the foreign policy decisions of the Kennedy administration. When Kennedy took office, the Cold War was in full swing, and the threat of nuclear war was on everyone's minds. Kennedy attempted to reduce the threat of nuclear war and to stop the spread of communism with a range of programs that included a conventional weapons buildup, foreign aid, and the Peace Corps. The United States got an edge in the space race when the president authorized a significant expansion of the space program. Kennedy's efforts to combat Communist influence led to some of the most intense crises of the Cold War. At the Bay of Pigs in Cuba and in Berlin, Germany, tensions heightened as the Americans and Soviets each tried to prove their strength. In 1962 the two nations came dangerously close to nuclear war over the issue of Soviet missiles in Cuba. Just as the first steps were taken toward American-Soviet arms reduction, Kennedy's life came to a sudden and tragic end.