Three Pressures That Discourage Acts Of Political Courage Summary

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According to John F. Kennedy what are the three pressures that discourage acts of political courage? John F. Kennedy, a firm believer that congressional representatives should be willing to risk honor, prestige, and even one's own career in the pursuit of solving an issue for the citizens of the nation, believes that pressures that discourage political courage include the pressures of one’s constituency, interest groups, letter writers, economic blocs, and the average voter. He believes that these pressures lead to politicians not acting as they would like to due to risks to one’s career, the unpopularity of the course they follow, the degradation of their characters, and, in some cases, the vindication of both their reputation and their principles. …show more content…

Despite knowing that his support of the bill would leave him unelectable within Massachusetts, Webster promised his support. This decision with ultimately lead to his historical condemnation. Within his “Seventh of March” speech, Webster argues in favor of Clay’s proposed legislation, which proposed that the only way in which the nation would thrive as a whole was if slavery was upheld within the south, put aside in debate for a moment to preserve the union, and that fugitive slave laws should be strengthened. Webster would die still standing beside his firm belief that he made the right decision supporting the bill and that he only ever had the union’s best interests at …show more content…

Because of this, radical republicans immediately moved for the impeachment of the president. The trial eventually made it clear that the president was not be tried fairly as congress moved to have him declared guilty. Edmund G. Ross, a Kansas Republican, held no sympathy for the man; however, he pledged that he would make sure that Johnson was to be tried fairly. Due to his standing on the trial, the senator became the target of abuse from his fellow republicans, the public, and the media. Nonetheless, Ross would go on to cast the deciding vote against the president’s conviction, thus ending the impeachment proceedings. Because of this, Ross was not reelected to the senate and would go on to suffer ostracism and poverty because of it. However, Ross is now praised for saving the United States from dictatorship as the Tenure of Office Act would later be declared

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