Highways, Cold War, and Civil Rights

As president, Eisenhower maintained much of the New Deal settlement while authorizing the Interstate Highway System and creating NASA. His administration relied on nuclear deterrence, alliances, covert action, and selective negotiation to manage the Cold War.

He signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and sent federal troops to enforce court-ordered integration at Little Rock Central High School. These were consequential steps, though his public leadership on racial equality remained restrained.