"Truman found saving the free world easier than governing America .... "By the time war broke out in Korea, the Fair Deal was ov
er, Truman had tried to accomplish too much with too little, ending up with practically nothing. Without a liberal majority in Congress there could not be much in the way of liberal legislation. "Through the Truman years domestic politics was a thing of rags and patches, a time when problems were ignored, programs shelved, and partisanship allowed to run rampant. Yet a recent history of the period 1945-1950 is called The Best Years because that is how they were remembered." -William L. O'Neill, historian, American High, 1986
Which of the following actions is an example of a Fair Deal reform that would best support the passage that "problems were ignored, programs shelved "?
a. Establishing a committee on civil rights.
b. Passing national health care insurance.
c. Outlawing the practice of closed shop.
d. Limiting individuals to two terms as president.
Passing national health care insurance was a problem that was shelved by the congress during the fair deal program. president Truman proposed the establishment of a universal and very effective healthcare system as part of his fair deal reforms but the congress did not pass the bill so the action was shelved.
The proposal made by president Truman although failed was a stepping stone for other presidents like president Bill Clinton and Barack Obama who followed in his ideas to setup universal health care insurance system for the American people.
This is an example of a problem during this administration that was shelved, and that never came to fruition. President Truman had proposed a national healthcare plan to Congress in 1945. However, this was never realized. This attempt for universal healthcare was in line with the liberal reforms introduced by FDR. Although his plan was never fully realized, it did open the door for presidents such as Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama who passed legislation related to healthcare.
