Compare And Contrast Truman And Conservatism

When one thinks of liberals and conservatives it tends to be a comparison of entirely different views concerning every issue. Conservative thinking is regularly associated with the Republican Party while liberal thinking is regularly associated with the Democratic Party. Two such figures that come to mind whose views tend to put them on opposite sides of the political spectrum are presidents Herbert C. Hoover and Harry S. Truman. For example, Hoover's failure to intervene in the private sector of the economy during the infant stages of the Great Depression agrees with the conservative idea of a free market economy. In contrast, Truman continued Roosevelt's liberally supported reform measures. One important factor that influences a political

Truman was a great advocate of civil rights. Truman, as a senator, signed an unsuccessful petition to end a filibuster on an anti-poll tax measure, and agreed to investigations of racial discrimination on war contracts and in the armed services (Encarta). Civil rights leaders saw Truman's Fair Deal legislation useful to African-Americans, it included a full employment act, increased unemployment compensation, and a higher minimum wage. In 1948, Truman asked Congress to enact laws prohibiting Jim Crow laws, and he instructed the Secretary of Defense to end discrimination in the armed services. These and many other measures Truman took to enforce his belief in a rapid social change. Walter White said in 1952 "No occupant of the White House since the nation was born has taken so frontal or constant a stand against racial discrimination as has Harry S. Truman." His legacy paved way for the civil rights movements in later years. Hoover, being a conservative, believed in slow very moderate social change built around past traditional values and beliefs. Hoover did not ask congress to pass any new laws, nor did he take any measures concerning social change in the form of welfare and civil rights (Smith). His beliefs stood in the way of making any social change for the betterment of

Liberals use tax money to finance social programs, and make sure the economy is going smoothly. Conservatives, however, believe that the economy will flourish if it is the government does not tax too heavily, and the revenues that would have gone to the government go back into the economy. This goes back to Hoover's "trickle-down" system. Truman did finance great welfare programs, military expansion, and intelligence expansion. Conservatives believe mostly spending tax money on the expansion of the armed forces and law