Editing Fair Deal (section)

==Philosophy==
A liberal Democrat of the [[Midwestern]] populist tradition, Truman was determined to both continue the legacy of the [[New Deal]] and to make [[Franklin Roosevelt]]'s proposed [[Economic Bill of Rights]] a reality, while making his own mark on social policy.<ref>Mark S. Byrnes, ''The Truman Years 1945–1953''</ref>

In a scholarly article published in 1972, historian [[Alonzo Hamby]] argued that the Fair Deal reflected the "vital center" approach to liberalism which rejected [[totalitarianism]], was suspicious of excessive concentrations of government power, and honored the New Deal as an effort to achieve a "democratic socialist society." Solidly based upon the New Deal tradition in its advocacy of wide-ranging social legislation, the Fair Deal differed enough to claim a separate identity. The [[Great Depression]] did not return in the [[post-war era]] and the Fair Deal had to contend with [[prosperity]] and an [[optimistic]] future. The Fair Dealers thought in terms of [[Post-scarcity|abundance]] rather than the Depression era's [[scarcity]]. Economist [[Leon Keyserling]] argued that the liberal task was to spread the benefits of abundance throughout society by stimulating [[economic growth]]. The Agriculture Secretary [[Charles F. Brannan]] wanted to unleash the benefits of agricultural abundance and to encourage the development of an urban-rural Democratic coalition. However, the [[Brannan Plan]] was defeated by strong conservative opposition in the [[United States Congress]], his unrealistic confidence in the possibility of uniting urban labor, and by farm owners who distrusted rural insurgency. The [[Korean War]] made [[military spending]] the nation's priority and killed almost the entire Fair Deal, but did encourage the pursuit of economic growth.<ref>Alonzo L. Hamby, "The Vital Center, the Fair Deal, and the Quest for a Liberal Political Economy", ''American Historical Review'', June 1972, Vol. 77, Issue 3, pp. 653–78. {{JSTOR|1870345}}.</ref> 

Following the midterm elections in 1948, the House acquired a liberal majority, but the Senate remained under conservative control, as noted by one study from the Elevator Constructor Volumes in 1949:

<blockquote>First of all, only one-third of the Senate is up for election every two years. In spite of the fact that the House has a narrow liberal majority, there are only 38 votes in the Senate wholeheartedly committed to the liberal program endorsed by the American voters last November.<ref>The Elevator Constructor Volumes 46–47 1949 P.1</ref></blockquote>

Nevertheless, some of the Fair Deal's progressive policies were enacted piecemeal by legislation during Truman's time in office, and further enactments continued under the [[Dwight D. Eisenhower#Presidency (1953–1961)|Eisenhower]] and [[Presidency of John F. Kennedy#Domestic affairs|Kennedy]] administrations, culminating in the sweeping tide of progressive legislation under Lyndon Johnson's [[Great Society]] agenda.