Comparison of Measures and Impacts of Social Policies of President Truman and Eisenhower

The thesis deals with the social policy measures established between 1945 and 1960 during the administration of President Harry S. Truman and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The aim of the ambitious Fair Deal program of the Democrat President Truman was to develop social policy measures introduced within Roosevelt’s New Deal. The majority of the program points, however, did not get through the Congress. On the contrary, several social policy measures were adopted during the Republican President Eisenhower administration, despite the lack of his legislative initiative. The thesis, therefore, confirms the main hypothesis that the importance of the federal government in the social sphere paradoxically grew between the years 1953 and 1960. Generally, this sphere did not, however, undergo significant changes during the administration of both above mentioned presidents due to a successful economic development. The most important asset was the enlargement of the Social Security – the Insurance Program in particular, where the benefits increased considerably as well as number of insured individuals. This enlargement occurred during both presidents’ administration. Thecontribution of the thesis lies in the analysis of the social policy within a period in which it held a minor position in context of the economic growth and principal focus on foreignpolicy.