How successful was the New Frontier?

To a certain extent, stating whether or not the New Frontier was a success or not is an opinion.  The "New Frontier" refers to the economic and social programs that were initiated by President John F. Kennedy.  As with any political move/agenda, there are always going to be people who oppose it and believe it to be a bad idea.  Kennedy's New Frontier is no different.  

Kennedy first introduced the concept of the "New...

To a certain extent, stating whether or not the New Frontier was a success or not is an opinion.  The "New Frontier" refers to the economic and social programs that were initiated by President John F. Kennedy.  As with any political move/agenda, there are always going to be people who oppose it and believe it to be a bad idea.  Kennedy's New Frontier is no different.  

Kennedy first introduced the concept of the "New Frontier" in a speech of his in the year 1960.  The New Frontier concept is Kennedy’s commitment to renewal and change.  It’s his pitch to "get the country moving again" and is very reminiscent of Theodore Roosevelt's "Square Deal," Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal," Harry S. Truman's "Fair Deal." At the core of the plan was raising the minimum wage, guaranteeing equal pay for women, rebuilding the inner cities, increasing federal aid for education, initiating a Peace Corps, and developing a Medicare program to assist the elderly.

Judging the New Frontier based solely on whether or not it did what it set out to do, I would say that it was a partial success.  The minimum wage was raised by 25%.  The Peace Core was established, and from 1961 to 2015, nearly 225,000 Americans have joined the Peace Corps and served in 141 countries. Unfortunately, Congress did oppose many parts of Kennedy’s plan. For example, the proposals for Medicare, a Department of Urban Affairs, and mass transit aid were all defeated by Congress.  I would say that the biggest success of the New Frontier was the tone that it set for the United States.   That tone was set by Kennedy’s magnetic appeal, and had Kennedy not been killed, the New Frontier likely would have actually accomplished a lot more of what it set out to do.