The Age of Eisenhower: America and the World in the 1950s

by William I. Hitchcock

What did the Republican Party really stand for? What was the 1956 election really all about? Unlike 1952, when Eisenhower was a newcomer to the party, he had now earned the right to define the values of the GOP—his party. Republicans, he said, wanted a government that promotes individual liberty and freedom while also protecting each citizen “against falling into the depths of poverty and misery through no fault of his own.” Good government must enhance free enterprise but also encourage community values and mutual goodwill so that no American will be left behind. Government must operate with thrift and integrity but “must never pinch pennies where the security of the nation is concerned.” Government must arm for war but strive toward world peace through cooperation and diplomacy. Here in a nutshell was the basic message of the Age of Eisenhower: Government must be moderate, efficient, empathetic, responsive, and compassionate. It must govern with restraint, wisdom, and a constant insistence on frugality. Above all, government must adhere to a disciplined policy of limited spending and limited interference in the lives of American citizens.