Communism

The scary monster lurking under the bed in the imaginations of many Americans at the time of the 1952 election. Also an immensely complex political, economic, and philosophical position that we'd describe here if we had an additional 1000 pages. But since we don't, check out our learning guide on The Communist Manifesto for more.

Alger Hiss Case

A very high profile investigation of a U.S. State Department official named Alger Hiss, who was accused of being a Soviet spy. Evidence at the time wasn't strong enough to convict him, but they did get him to perjure himself, so it was taken as a win. Looking back, they were probably right about him anyway. Nixon's prosecution of Hiss got him national attention.

House Un-American Activities Committee

A congressional committee that more or less served as a witch hunt for communists. People who refused to testify before the committee could have their lives and careers ruined. In 1947, Congressman Nixon accepted a seat on the committee. As the only lawyer on the committee, he was credited with bringing some fairness and reason to their proceedings. It was this committee that investigated Alger Hiss.

Korean War (1950-1953)

A civil war in Korea that resulted from communist North Korea deciding to invade the South. It went on far longer than it should in order to establish where the border between the new nations would lie. The U.S. got involved in 1950 on the side of South Korea. About 36,000 American soldiers were killed in the conflict (source), and Nixon held the Truman administration responsible for dragging out the war. Ever watch M*A*S*H? That was their war.

Political Boss

An individual, often corrupt, who's the most powerful and influential leader in their respective locale. Bosses can trade favors for votes, so once their candidates are in power, they can control them. This is about as undemocratic a system as you could think of without naming Party Dictators for Life. They were a major influence on the issues of the 1952 presidential election.

Presidential Nominating National Conventions

A convention with silly hats, balloons, and confetti, held in order to select a political party's nominee for the presidential election. Technically, any political party might have such a convention, but in practice this amounts to the Democrats and the Republicans having enormous demonstrations of why their party is so great, while all the other political parties have their tiny membership meet in a basement somewhere.

Old Guard Republican

A term for an informal coalition that split the Republican Party in the early half of the 20th century. The Old Guard arose in the early 1900s to oppose what was seen as a liberalization of the party by Teddy Roosevelt and his buddies. They were largely responsible for Republican victories in the 1920s and were horrified by the "domestic dictatorship" of FDR. They weren't a homogeneous bunch, but generally were business-oriented folks with a strong streak of isolationism and anti-imperialism. They supported Robert Taft for the presidential nomination in 1952, and were a constant thorn in the side of Eisenhower.

McCarthyism

Anti-communist sentiment that began in the 1950s, named for Senator Joseph McCarthy, who led the hunt for suspected Communists in government. Accusations of treason and sedition were thrown about without much in the way of solid evidence. Private citizens were investigated along with suspected Reds in government agencies. The term's still used to describe any over-zealous persecution of real or imagined political enemies.

Draft Eisenhower Movement

A political hullabaloo over which party would convince Eisenhower (who had previously shown no political inclinations in the slightest) to run for the presidency. The movement was spearheaded by Harry Truman on the Democrat side, who wrote numerous failed letters urging Eisenhower to run. The Republican effort was led by Thomas Dewey and Henry Cabot Lodge, who'd eventually convince the general to run as a GOP candidate. Everyone liked Ike.

Political Machine

A means of organizing political power in which there is a central authoritative party boss, orbited by a number of supportive businesses, aides, and workers. Typically characterized as a corrupt style of politics, it was hugely effective for much of America's electoral history. You couldn't get elected without the support of the machine. Bernie Sanders thought the Democratic machine was alive and well in 2016.