Recently wars have been fought for containment, which protects the United States, but is not directly seem. An example of this is Vietnam, which was being fought to contain communism. The effect of this had no impact directly on the United States. Americans want something they can see and a way to measure success. In colonial wars, such as the Revolutionary War, Americans were fighting for freedom, which they would experience themselves. The Civil War was similar. After the war was over, slaves were free which drastically changed the U.S. After Vietnam, the affects were not directly felt in America. The U.S. was fighting to keep communism out of other countries, not to keep communism out of the United States. When the war was over, there were no drastic changes for Americans. The soldiers returned home, and most people continued with their daily lives. There was not a direct threat of communism in the U.S., so when communism was contained, it had little affect at home. Many people felt the U.S. was fighting other countries wars. The popularity of a president is important. If a president is popular, it is more likely he will be able to accomplish more of his political agenda. If he is not supported, he will have little influence and be unable to focus on his agenda. As Lyndon Johnson said, "You've got to give it all you can that first year, you've got just one year when they treat you right." Johnson was aware that public opinion generally decreases over time. In 1964 Johnson's popularity in the polls reached as high as 80%, less than two years later it decreased by half. In 1965 there were one hundred and fifteen presidential legislative recommendations, and more than ninety were approved. The public's opinion of the president is not only affected by drastic foreign and domestic events, but also the economy. If inflation increases and the economy slumps, a president will likely not be re-elected at the end of term.
