The campaign and election of John Kennedy were predicated on promises of bringing about sweeping changes in the American economy. With an inflation rate of some 6 percent and an unemployment rate of 7.2 percent, Kennedy promised the American people that he would provide the hungry with food, the unemployed with jobs, unskilled workers with skills, and the ill housed with decent housing. In tone and style re­ miniscent of the New Deal, Kennedy created the hope and expectation that things would improve markedly--and fast, declaring that the Democrats would increase the parity given to farmers, and that tax incentives to businessmen would be instituted to increase investment and thus create economic ex­ pansion. A program of Federal aid to education and health care for the aged was also described.

Throughout the whirlwind campaign for the Presidency, Kennedy had promised and promised. Liberals in the country were ecstatic as the Kennedy victory insured, they felt, that the new President would forcefully use the Presidency and the Federal government to attempt to eradicate the stigma that was still part of America in 1960--that almost one third of the nation remained ill housed, ill clothed and ill fed.

Blacks also expected that Kennedy would do what he could to better their economic position. Some 30 percent of blacks able to work were unemployed and they still remained the last hired and first fired. In his campaign Kennedy had promised that if elected he would immediately "with the stroke of a pen" issue an Executive Order declaring illegal discrimination

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