Recap / Hart USA

United States of America Recap:
Index | Hart's America | Chep's America

With Affection, Respect, and Esteem.

"Dear President Hart,

I followed with great interest the campaign of you and Mr. Morrison, of whom you know I am already acquainted. After the difficulties of the past four years and your diligent work in the US Senate to resolve them, I was heartened this past November to see the success of your presidential venture and the triumph of common-sense governance once again.

As you are well aware, there is no single cause to the problems our nation faces. With military entanglements, competition from abroad, and unrest in our cities, we will need experienced leaders to develop solutions that can take our country forward. I have no doubt that you are capable of that responsibility.

I am sure you will see many successes over these next few years."

— Dwight D. Eisenhower

Philip Hart has been elected and inaugurated to be the 40th President of the United States. The renowned Conscience of the Senate, Hart stands on a platform of "Affection, Respect, and Esteem", where the United States can truly live up to its name as the land of opportunity. His prized agenda is dubbed the Urban Renewal Initiative, the most ambitious policy plan since the New Deal and intended to resuscitate the United States' decaying urban communities. However, this will be a controversial plan and Hart's once-unanimous support in the Senate becomes much more fractured in the presidency. There are many demographics who Hart will need to manage, including the Budget Hawks who are apprehensive of the URI's price tag, the Urban Wealth who benefit most from the current urban situation, the Rural America farmers out to protect the agricultural industry, and the Civil Rights Advocates who expect better racial equity under the new President.

To achieve his wild dream, Hart has assembled a number of veteran politicians to help him. Standing as his Vice President is deLesseps "Chep" Morrison, the former mayor of New Orleans and enemy to the infamous Long family. Compared to Hart, Chep has a more spotty history on civil rights legislation and is relatively more right-leaning, as he was intended to appease the Republicans of the Coalition. This puts him in conflict with Jane Jacobs, Hart's Secretary of Health, Education, and Wealth, and a staunch progressive who expresses the most faith in Hart's URI, given her personal experience with the United States' urban decay. While Chep urges caution, Jacobs will push Hart to maximize the URI's effects, even if it will draw conservative ire. Another reformist on the Hart cabinet is Edward Lansdale, a man of few words and a war veteran who will better equip the American military to communicate with others abroad. Foreign matters are dealt with by Harry Truman, who never became president in this timeline and thus extended his lifespan. Brought to make the world safer via American diplomacy, Truman will also have to deal with the enigmatic National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger. A surprise addition to Hart's cabinet is Eugene McCarthy, the skittish Secretary of Agriculture who was rivals with Hart, yet is treated with respect by the President.

There are a variety of other characters ready to assist Hart. First is Bayard Rustin, a civil rights advocate who works with Jacobs to craft fair legislation for black communities. While Rustin achieves much with Jacobs' help, he politely declines the opportunity to personally meet Hart because he doesn't want a direct association to tarnish his reputation and momentum. Another allied activist is Walter Reuther, President of the United Auto Workers and a leading figure of the American labor movement. Bemoaning the pollution done by the automobile industry, Reuther presents the Clean New Deal, which will ban leaded gasoline and impose limits on emissions. In the halls of the Senate, Hart's protege and son of a dynastic family, Edward "Ted" Kennedy, drafts his own bill in the National Health Insurance Act, introducing single-payer universal health insurance to the country.

With his team assembled, Hart has three legislation bills to make his first move with:

• The Clean Streets Act will remove homeless populations from high-traffic public areas and give money to a new system of work resource centers in affected neighborhoods. However opponents argue that this will not solve the root issue of poverty and even Hart is frustrated that the original proposal has to be watered down for support.
• The Soup Kitchen Act will provide funding for soup kitchens in poorer urban areas and permit their reintegration into American society, but critics argue that this will encourage laziness and the growth of "welfare queens".
• The Substance Abuse and Recovery Act will subsidize recovery programs for drug addicts, though conservatives accuse it of coddling criminals and progressives criticize it for being too milquetoast.

The outcome of the starting legislation will alter Hart's next move:

• If the bill is rejected, Hart tries to win back some goodwill with the more unifying Diversty in Education Act, funding historically Black colleges and universities to close the education gap between white and black Americans.
• If the bill passes, Hart drafts an even stronger bill in the Urban Housing Opportunity Act, forbidding racial discrimination in housing sales and rentals to address the scars left by segregation.

Now settled into office, Hart is ready to begin the hard and dirty work. One of the URI's fundamental pillars is overhauling the American transportation system. Started by late President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Hart takes up the mantle to reform the fledgling Federal Highway program and make the country more connected than ever:

• Government subsidies will be provided to the trucking industry and repair the national highways. As more roads are built, smaller towns will also benefit with rest stops that will attract more customers and facilitate their growth. Minority and poor towns won't be neglected either, with Hart refusing to bulldoze their homes and working with these communities to maximize the benefits for both parties. When construction is finalized, more funding will be secured through the Interstate Highway Expansion Act, opening new highway construction projects to link the states together and provide economic growth to the cities and national parks.
• The Hart administration will send a study commission to see what the people want out of the automobile industry. If consumer apathy is less than 65%, there will be little need for extensive reforms, so Hart passes a number of smaller improvements and subsidies, such as a public-private partnership to build train parts, stimulus packages, more national driving laws, and gas price controls.
  

More ambitiously, if consumer apathy is greater than 65%, Hart will commission the Americar project, which will provide an affordable car for lower-income Americans and grant them the privilege to drive. Hart will need to partner with either Ford or General Motors, the two biggest car manufacturers, to get the program off the ground, investing billions in a risky endeavor. The manufacturer will offer the cheapest model possible and driving higher bargains means securing a more luxurious automobile, at the risk of angering either one enough to withdraw. In this case, Hart will save face by promoting unionization in the industry and encourage the formation of drivers' clubs to pressure automobile companies to set more reasonable prices.
Henry Ford II of the titular company will offer the Falcon (Americar Falcon), the Maverick (Americar Maverick), and the Bobcat (Americar Bravo), while James Roche of GM will offer the Oldsmobile (Americar Delta 88), the Monte Carlo (Americar Chevelle), and the Buick Century Cruiser (Americar Century Cruiser), all in that order. When the deal is secured, Chep and his wife Zsa Zsa Gabor will present the Americar, with its success depending on consumer apathy. Bottom-tier cars require it to be greater than 68%, mid-tier cars require 73%, and top-tier cars require 82%. If this threshold is passed, the Americar will be a resounding success, generating a massive profit and becoming the biggest automobile success since the Model T. Otherwise, the Americar will cost more than it's generating, so Hart can either cut his losses and pull out of the deal or keep it going.

• Another transportation is the subpar railway industry, so Hart creates the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), a public rail initiative that will provide more reliable service. The Budd Company is contracted to build the country's first high-speed train, either using the reliable Metroliner or switching to the faster Superliner. "Model Cities" who have taken the "City Pledge" will prepare local rail installations and the USDOC Modernization Act, if passed, will allow the Department of Commerce to establish and manage highway programs for the states, significantly overhauling transportation in the nation. Some corners will need to be cut and audits done on corrupt managers to appease fiscal conservatives, but the final result will be glorious, connecting hundreds of "railtowns" and providing transportation to tens of millions.

Another front for the URI are, of course, the cities. Infested with crime and inequality, Hart will kill these problems at the root and turn the cities into shining megalopoli:

• Law enforcement will be reformed through audits and emergency funding bills to give them better equipment to combat criminals and outlawed hate groups. Meanwhile, Hart signs Executive Order #334498 to create a national, nonpartisan commission that will study the causes of gun violence and how to prevent them, as well as establish gun-free zones so that children are not exposed to firearms. This will culminate in the Arm Control and Indexing Act to formalize federal standards on gun possession, outlaw the sale and possession of firearms to felons, drug addicts, and those with mental disabilities, and require registrations for people to perform interstate weapon transfers. By restricting access to guns by criminals, the police will uncover the extensive illegal drug trade that has been plaguing the cities, with the Federal Bureau of Narcotics tasks with cracking down on these networks.
• Hart will also affirm the government's alliance with the trade unions and invest in new technologies for the middle-class and the military. Each year, the President will dedicate the URI's focus to crime, homelessness, and poverty. Protectionist policies will be enacted to benefit American manufacturers and make American products desirable again, while coordinating with the unions to ensure that worker abuse can be minimized. Rural Americans will not be left out either, as rural infrastructure projects are authorized to maximize agricultural yields. In combination with the stigma surrounding segregation, the free market and cities will become a much fairer place, especially with the Cooperative Act officially declaring the American government's support for the workers and the labor unions.

Education is also an important facet in American society and Hart stakes their development as the fight for America's future. Igniting a "Second American Revolution", Hart will reform the education system to kindle the next generation's idealism and knowledge:

• The young soldiers scarred by war will be rehabilitated with the Forever GI Bill, offering support for military veterans. While veterans are given a home and Army engineers are put to work in the electronics industry, Hart will ratify the 24th Amendment to lower the voting age to 18 years old and bring celebrities to endorse healthy exercise for the youth. In time, the military will no longer be seen as a death sentence and prepare it for a new generation of recruits who will defend the Free World.
• Students are educated about America's past and offered study hall programs, while the Primary Course Meal Act provides them with school lunches so they are energized to use these resources. The mission of racial integration will also continue to ensure that these benefits are not withheld from non-white students. On a cultural level, Philip will venerate some of the greatest American scientists to aspire towards, while his wife, Janey, will be pushed as a feminist icon for gender equality. Storytime programs on TV and libraries will further facilitate this age of American intellectualism, climaxing with the Natioanl Education Act that will create a basic, standardized curriculum in the American school system.
  

The most intelligent students will showcase their abilities in the National Academic Decathlon, but of greater curiosity is the chance for Japanese students to join the competition. If both countries accept, they will send their respective teams and compete to see who has the superior education. The victor of the competition will be random, which will be treated as a small triumph in the larger Cold War.

• Contrary to what most think, science is very relevant to agriculture and a domestic revolution of new farming technologies are deployed to produce greater agricultural boons. Though the rural budget will remain balanced to appease the conservatives, millions of farmers will be granted better farming tools and an improved power grid, creating a coalition of pro-URI urbanites and farmers, akin to the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Any chance of a rural flight will also be averted by providing social programs, education, and electrification to the farms, earning more goodwill for the Hart administration.

The fourth target of the URI is systemic discrimination; millions of underprivileged Americans, mostly non-white, lack the means to take advantage of Hart's urban renewal. No longer shall they be denied the American Dream:

• Various improvements to daily life are legislated by Hart. Local communities are built, small businesses are grown, baseball is prized as the American sport, consistent work schedules are established, cultural diversity is encouraged, and the pipeline of American products is streamlined.
• Racism in America will be directly tackled. Sundown laws prohibiting black Americans from visiting cities at certain hours are deemed unconstitutional, redlining "lower income neighborhoods" is prohibited, and indirect forms of urban segregation are combatted.
• The URI's effects and participation can be made potent through various legislation. In two notable instances, the America Invests Act is passed so that the federal government will mount some of the URI programs' pay, while the Urban Commitment Act is proposed to split the bill on the URI's cost between the federal government and the cities, as well as provide options for debt relief. Additionally, the Urban Renewal Expansion Act will expand the URI's programs nationwide, increasing its scale and budget by enrolling all American municipalities.
• In the fight against crime, Hart proposes the Crime Bill to bring law and order to the cities, where it will address drug dealing, police behavior, and law enforcement funding. At least 50 seats in the Senate are needed to pass it and various provisions will affect its harshness. If it becomes incredibly harsh, it will backfire because the police start profiling black Americans and unjustly arresting and/or imprisoning them for petty crimes. An overly strict Crime Bill will do nothing to discourage actual criminal behavior and thus strike a major blow to the Hart administration. Fortunately, Hart can always modify the crime bill to be more reasonable.
• Amenities and opportunities for the youth are funded to ensure that they won't need to fall into a life of crime. Drug dealing to adolescents is prohibited, job training courses are opened, and basketball games are funded.
• Utilities in the cities are opened, such as lampposts to discourage street violence and alternative modes of transportation besides driving.
• The bank system is reformed by increasing their quantity and staff numbers, so that people won't need to rely on shady loan sharks. For every city that can't afford a private bank, Hart will fund a post office to act as a bank and a meeting house.
• The Municipality Housing Act will give funding for municipalities to construct, maintain, and expand public housing projects. Heavily advocated by Jacobs, this will give affordable housing to millions of Americans. Alternatively, Hart can draft the Rebuild the Ghettos Act, a more moderate bill drafted with the help of George Romney and intended to construct thousands of new public housing projects under the Federal Housing Administration and be turned to public land trusts.
• The budget hawks' anger at these programs is quelled through thorough argumentation, specifically by appealing to "chicken hawks" with an earnings report that prove the URI's sustainability.

As more bills are passed in the Senate, Hart must make difficult choices, sacrificing the goodwill of at least one demographic to achieve results. However, angering one of these groups too much would be ill-advised, giving a limited time frame for Hart to make some emergency policy changes and end the crisis:

• If Rural America's trust drops below 35%, the farmers will feel neglected by the government and start a revolt, demanding better treatment. If their anger is not subsided in time, the farmers will permanently lose their faith in Hart, even as the financial situation stabilizes..
• If the city's budget reaches "bloated" status, the mayors will be facing an incoming debt crisis, at least partially contributed to by the URI's cost. If the crisis isn't averted in time, New York City mayor John Lindsey will file the city for bankruptcy, cascading into other cities following suit or skimming their public services.
• If the Urban Wealth's anger rises above 60%, many bigoted white Americans will feel uncomfortable at the number of black Americans moving into their neighborhoods, so they flee into the suburbs. This represents a major crisis to the cities because they are losing valuable taxpayers, which will force them to start cutting funds for public services. If not resolved quickly enough, anyone who can't afford to move will be condemned to an impoverished city, ruled by criminals who can't be stopped by the crippled law enforcement.
• If the Civil Rights Advocates' trust drops below 40%, many black Americans will feel frustrated by the police brutality and hate crimes they endure, so they start marching on the streets to demand change. The police respond with extreme prejudice and white supremacist groups, who don't face similar levels of suppression, escalate the conflict into a series of race riots that begin destroying the cities. If the riots are not stopped quickly enough, cities like Los Angeles and Detroit will resort to more violent tactics to suppress the civil rights activists, disillusioning the black communities' belief that Hart could help them. This also drives more support for the Nationalist, Sovereigntist, and Marxist caucuses.

Even if Hart can avert all of these potential disasters, he cannot avoid the Oil Crisis and the ramifications of consumer products suddenly spiking in price. While Hart responds with energy regulations, he's also informed that the railway industry was hit particularly hard by the catastrophe, as great railroads like Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific are at risk of going bankrupt. However, Secretary of Commerce Mike Monroney proposes a daring plan to rescue the industry: the National and Electrification plan, using the state-owned Consolidated Rail Administration (ConRail) to buy out railway assets and electrify them to eliminate their dependence on oil. Chep doubts the efficacy of this plan, proposing that they should let the market figure itself out. Rejecting the plan turns out to be a failure, as dozens of railway companies file for bankruptcy. Meanwhile, accepting the plan is a major success for the Hart administration, with thousands remaining employed during the Oil Crisis and saving the railways from closure.

Throughout Hart's first term, Kissinger has been working behind the scenes on what could be the United States' greatest foreign endeavor: détente with Japan. According to his theory of multipolarity, the world is divided between separate poles of influence between the United States, Japan, Germany, and the sum of the other countries. Given his Jewish background, allying with Germany is out of the question for Kissinger, but if the United States can form a truce with Japan, they could combine their strengths to contain the spread of Nazism. Contrary to Hart's suggestion that he bring this up with Truman, Kissinger flies alone to the Iberian embassy and persuades Japanese ambassador Ryuji Takeuchi to begin the negotiations. Hart isn't comfortable with beginning these talks behind Truman and the public's back, but he condones it because Kissinger is a skilled diplomat.

The first concern is the American-Japanese Pacific Transit Treaty. Kissinger and Takeuchi agree to give fishing rights to Americans in Hawaii in exchange for the United States recognizing Japanese control of the islands. In terms of civilian maritime law, Kissinger proposes lifting the restraints on Pacific trade, but Japan can potentially counteroffer restrictions in the Strait of Malacca, if they won the Malayan Emergency and the Indonesian Civil War. The last potential provision is permitting the transit of American citizens living in Hawaii so that they can visit their loved ones. If both sides agree to the terms and the treaty is approved by the Senate, Kissinger and Takeuchi celebrate their work, though Truman confesses his discontent to Hart that he was kept in the dark about this, comparing this to Nixon's corrupt actions.

In the second round, Kissinger and Takeuchi craft the Pacific Area Security Treaty (PAST) to deescalate military tensions between their countries. On a significant note, Kissinger will be invited to Tokyo during the talks, signaling the success of his diplomacy. Denuclearization of the Pacific is a given for this treaty, but Japan raises the idea of opening OFN-aligned Asian countries to Japanese investments, which could violate the agreement of limiting interference in their respective spheres of influence. Once the treaty is agreed upon and approved by the Senate, Hart acknowledges Kissinger's success, but calls him out for continuing to ignore Truman and disrespecting a senior politician. Unfortunately, Kissinger has no remorse for what he's done and dismisses Hart's counsel on the basis that his methods are justified to stop Nazi Germany.

With two treaties under their belts, Kissinger moves onto the third and final phase of détente, which will negotiate for the treaty ports and Hawaii. However, Kissinger's negotiations are interrupted when someone leaks his secret talks to the public. Stoic but furious, Kissinger suggests a wiretap to find the leaker, but Hart puts his foot down for once and refuses. Thus, Kissinger has no choice but to continue the talks in Tokyo with a damaged credibility.

Besides Japan, Kissinger is also proactive in containing the German threat, specifically using the shady CIA. Hart was always reluctant to expand their operations to the Einheitspakt, but at the insistence of his advisors, he finally caves. There are two missions that the CIA can conduct to subvert Germany. The first is Operation FAULKNER, setting up a station called Radio Free Europe to distribute anti-Nazi material in Europe and spread the testimonies of German defectors to discredit the Reich. The operation can take a whole new level by providing direct financial support for the German dissident movement, but this becomes a colossal mistake when the CIA's contact wastes the money on escaping Germany with several women, which gets him caught and tortured into exposing his allies and the American connection; remaining discreet is a far better outcome. Alternatively, the second mission is Operation NIGHTHAWK, pressuring a senior German officer nicknamed R.A. to give them confidential information under threat of exposing his homosexuality and his sexual partner. R.A. fearfully complies, but this stresses him out to the point of a failed suicide attempt and his treason is eventually exposed by the German authorities. The CIA can either try to rescue R.A. or leave him for arrest so they can cover their own tracks. In the former option, R.A. is told to rush for the Swiss border, but he takes a detour to rescue his partner, getting himself arrested and forced to expose his CIA partners, to the embarrassment of the United States. In the latter option, the CIA successfully covers up their involvement and R.A. shoots himself before he can be arrested.

On the more overt side, Kissinger moves to isolate Germany as much as possible, proposing an embargo against them. In a rare, emotionally-driven moment, Kissinger heavily pushes this initiative to Hart and Truman, who approve of it and present it to the Senate. Unfortunately, there is a chance of the Senate rejecting it, with James Buckley commenting that they should reward "encouraging reforms" if Speer is in charge.

After nearly four years of hard work, Hart gears himself for a reelection in 1972, eager to secure another term to complete the URI. However, his wife notices a suspicious black mark on his back and demands that he get it checked out. Hart initially doesn't think much of it, but when he sees the White House physician, he's given horrific news; he has melanoma. Desperate, Hart attempts surgery to have the tumor rumored, but it's too late, as the cancer has already metastasized to the liver and nearby organs, giving him six months to a year before he perishes. Only revealing his condition to his closest allies for now, Hart makes preparations for his resignation, which would make Chep his successor.

Jacobs is mortified by the news and, despite having no love for Chep, agrees to help him when he becomes the new President. Chep himself has not been living a comfortable life either, with Zsa Zsa gossiping about him in the press and turning their marriage into an abusive one. Despite this and his own political differences, Chep agrees to take up Hart's mantle, having developed a friendship and respect for each other over the years. To fill the Vice Presidency, Senator Hubert Humphrey recommends Birch Bayh and Hart gives him his blessing. Unfortunately, Hart never gets the chance to reconcile with Truman, as he passes away from natural causes. Delivering Truman's eulogy and promoting Kissinger as the new Secretary of State, Hart berates himself for deceiving him for months and ending their relationship on a sour note, but there is sadly nothing he can do at this point.

If the preparations are complete in time, Hart announces his cancer diagnosis and resignation plans to the public. Millions of Americans, even ones who voted against him in past elections, mourn his impending death and Hart leaves the Oval Office with a tearful thanks to the American people and a call for God to bless the country. His final living days are spent in his humble suburban house in Michigan, surrounded by his loved ones, before he closes his eyes and peacefully dies in bed.

If the preparations are not complete, someone will leak Hart's condition to the Washington Post, which sets an ill first impression for the public, who are not excited for a Morrison presidency. Tragically, Hart collapses while he's still in office and he's swiftly rushed to a hospital. Barely conscious and overlooked by Chep and Janey, Philip gets a sudden moment of lucidity and cries out to God why he would suffer an untimely death before he can complete his second term. When the outburst is over, Hart collapses back into his bed and flatlines.

In either case, the late President is buried in a coffin in St. Matthew's Cathedral, with Chep visiting his final resting place and unable to contain his tears. Difficult times lay ahead for the unlikely President and Chep's deepest tragedy is that his friend won't be beside him any longer.

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This route provides examples of:

• Accidental Misnaming: When one of his staffers suggests dethawing relations with Japan by meeting their ambassador at an Iberian embassy, Kissinger compliments "Alice" for her good thinking. The recipient corrects him on the misnaming, but accepts the praise anyways.
• Actually Pretty Funny:
  • While brainstorming a way to connect the rural districts, Hart proposes gravel roads or dirt paths because paved roads would be too expensive. Chep comments his own surprise, quipping that he's usually a liberal spender on his programs, which makes Hart laugh at his own expense.
  • Traveling in a cramped limousine for hours drains and irritates Philip and Janey Hart, to a point that the former forgets that he's supposed to deliver a speech on public transportation. Fortunately, Philip makes light of the situation by jokingly planning an initiative for cruise ships or air travel, which makes Janey laugh.
  • Before talking about denuclearization, Kissinger admits to the Japanese Prime Minister that he's still uncomfortable being in the "bosom of... the enemy". Instead of taking offense, the Prime Minister lightly chuckles.
• Alliterative Title: An in-universe example where a newspaper article criticizes Hart's protectionist policies and is titled "President Pursues Piss Poor Policy of Protectionism!"
• Allohistorical Allusion: Hart's Crime Bill will define the government's policy on drug possession, riot management, and police funding. If it accumulates at least 50 seats in the Senate, it will pass and declare a War on Crime like Lyndon B. Johnson did in OTL.
• Ambiguous Situation: If he resigns early, Philip will be bedridden with cancer and whisper his last words to Janey so quietly that no one but her can hear them. Those words are never revealed and Janey refuses to share them.
• Animation Age Ghetto: In-universe when the Hart Administration produces the Adventures of Tom Corbett Saturday morning cartoon, which is initially dismissed as a show for children because it's a cartoon. Fortunately, the show was made for all-ages and proves to be a mainstream success, even topping Star Trek: The Animated Series and inspiring a generation of children to learn about space.
• Armor-Piercing Question: Despite his guilt over helping Kissinger deceive Truman, Hart reluctantly promotes Kissinger to Secretary of State after the latter's death. A surprised Chep is about to call out this action, until Hart asks him if would do the same and deny Kissinger's foreign expertise. Chep doesn't have a response to that.
• Asshole Victim: Hart permits the FBI to index far-right, hate group members, which isn't a bad idea considering that one of them assassinated JFK. Much of the American public is in agreement and the only ones complaining about it are the nationalists in the NPP.
• Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: A switchboard operator at a call center hears Kissinger and Takeuchi's talks of détente, in which their respective German and Japanese accents make him suspect that there are foreign infiltrators trying to bring down the American government from within. He immediately thinks about how he can stop this imagined plot, but he puts off any brainstorming so that he can watch the newest episode of Star Trek and thus forgets about the phone call.
• Awesome, but Impractical: Ten engineers of the Budd company want the company to switch production to the Superliner chassis, which is capable of reaching the intended 150 mph. Unfortunately, switching to this design means a total rework of the preexisting assembly lines, which could be too much of a hassle for the company to accept and have them stick with the familiar Metroliner instead.
• Batman Gambit: Hearing that private schools are favoring the enrollment of white students over black students, Hart signs an executive order for the Department of Justice to investigate racial bias in this domain. It's an ineffectual move that won't fix anything, but that's what Hart is banking on; as Chep plans, some bigot will sue the government for their interference, getting the Supreme Court to rule in the Hart administration's favor and give them greater opportunities to address private school segregation. Sure enough, a school in Indiana takes the bait, but the gambit's success will depend on how liberal the Supreme Court is.
• Beat:
  • When the détente comes to a standstill over trading in the Strait of Malacca, an awkward silence develops between Kissinger and Takeuchi, as both sides realize that the negotiations are over. Kissinger excuses himself that he has to leave to other "urgent national security issues".
  • After Hart strongly rejects Chep's suggestion to stop racial integration and prevent the white flight, an awkward air of silence emerges between them on the drive back from Detroit, with Hart half-heartedly telling his Vice President "Thanks for the advice, Chep."
• Beginner's Luck: There's a chance of the Japanese team winning the Academic Decathlon by just two points, with the bitter Americans thinking that their narrow victory was beginner's luck and that they'd win the next competition.
• Berserk Button:
  • The idea of conceding anything to Japan is a huge button for the American public, even if it were something small like fishing rights. Therefore, Kissinger must tread lightly on how to approach his negotiations because a Japan-leaning détente would be disastrous for the Hart administration.
  • Ford II hates his time being wasted, going on a tranquil, but no less explosive rant if the Hart administration pushes too far on the Americar negotiations. When enraged, Ford II starts throwing papers on the ground and insults the delegation for leading him on. By comparison, Roche from GM can be pushed too far as well, but he just says what needs to be said and cordially closes the negotiations.
• Big Entrance:
  • Subverted for Kissinger's date with a B-list actress. When he arrives, Kissinger is tired and has an undone tie that he uses to clean his glasses, contrary to his date's expectations.
  • Hart enters a school assembly on a helicopter that lands on the field, capturing the attention of every student who was bored up to this point and exciting them with the chance to sit in the aircraft.
  • Invited to make the first pitch of the new baseball season, Hart is introduced with thunderous organ music and applause.
• Bittersweet Ending: If he fails to win reelection, Hart will be disappointed to leave office sooner than expected, but he'll, at least, be able to return to his family and friends to spend the rest of his quiet life with, relatively undisturbed by politics, save for the odd question of his opinion on a certain situation.
• Black Market: Through Radio Free Europe, the CIA facilitate a black market of dissident pamphlets, books, and other materials aimed to discredit the Reich, at the expense of German censorship laws.
• Blackmail: In Operation NIGHTHAWK, the CIA recruits one informant in the Reich by blackmailing him with evidence of homosexual activities, threatening to out him if he doesn't cooperate.
• Boring, but Practical:
  • The Soup Kitchen Act is the most mundane of the three starting legislation, merely opening soup kitchens compared to the Clean Street Act's temporary relocation of the homeless and the Substance Abuse and Recovery Act's extended safety net for drug addicts. However, it's the least controversial of the three acts and still beneficial to the underprivileged by giving them easier access to food and water.
  • If consumer apathy is below 65%, a Census Bureau will reveal that people are content with how the transportation industry is run and the best thing the Hart administration can do is subsidize this market. It would work, but it's a far less ambitious plan than the Americar and it's so boring that no one can get enthused about it.
  • Ford II's second offer for the Americar is the Maverick, a basic four-door sedan which can still produce a massive profit, despite lacking anything flashy.
  • Unwilling to take a risk with the Americar, GM's first offer is the Oldsmobile, an outdated model that lacks class and an appealing design, but is still reliable enough that the Hart administration can use and manufacture.
  • Operation FAULKNER is the less ambitious plan to destabilize the Reich, setting up a propaganda radio outlet, Radio Free Europe, to distribute anti-Nazi material. It can maintain its mundane nature if the CIA don't try to directly fund German dissident groups, but staying low and safe is exactly what the RFE needs to succeed. Germany can never track down the source to the problem and RFE's press can be translated across multiple countries, turning the international community against the Reich.
• Both Sides Have a Point: Hart's first executive action concerns a debate where Jacobs wants to immediately pass a Health, Education, and Welfare proposal that will end the urban capital flight, which will be a more effective policy. However, Chep argues for caution and first funding a study to prove that it will be effective, guaranteeing broader support and goodwill in the Senate at the cost of a less effective policy. Hart acknowledges that both sides have a point and it's up to the player to decide who has the better argument.
• Brutal Honesty:
  • Despite their friendship, Rockefeller makes it clear to Hart that the Republicans aren't going to immediately fall in line with his agenda and that their support shouldn't be taken for granted.
  • Reuther is earnest to Hart that he doubts his promises of writing new environmental policies, citing Kefauver, Eisenhower, and Jack Kennedy for failing to live up to their promises. Hart accepts the criticism, which makes their partnership much more genuine.
  • Hart honestly admits to Lansdale that he doesn't like meeting him, since he rarely speaks and only nods whenever they converse.
  • If Hart's crime bill is too powerful, Jacobs will spare no fluff over how bad the situation is, detailing the rise in incarceration for punishing minor offenses and comparing the situation to Draco of Athens.
  • During the white flight crisis, Reuther honestly advises Hart that the people are getting sick of his policies and that they won't be convinced to join back through words. He tells Hart that he needs to start passing tangible policies to attract them or else the URI is doomed. Hart takes the brutally earnest message to heart and thanks Reuther for it.
• Child Prodigy: The daughter of a Hispanic family in Maryland is constantly questioning things, can speak bilingually in English and Spanish, and is trying to learn French. It's extra impressive because her mother Never Learned to Read and the anecdote excites Hart that his education reforms are effective.
• The City Narrows: One citizen lives in the seedy part of Gary, Indiana, where his uncle got mugged once while walking at night. The only safe mode of transportation here is to take the bus, so when the white flight crisis cuts its budget and reduces its use, the individual can no longer get to work without the fear of being attacked and he fakes an illness to excuse his absence.
• The City vs. the Country: Unfortunately, many of Hart's initial policies are geared towards the cities, neglecting those living in the rural countryside and even starting a flight of young people to the urban areas. Many are upset at this prioritization and a crowd of Nebraskans shout their criticisms at Chep, who promises to take it up to Hart.
• Commonality Connection:
  • When a speaker for the 24th Amendment admits to being mentally scarred by the Battle of Pretoria, Hart empathizes with the veteran and admits that he got shot during his service in Aberdeen, recognizing how unfriendly the country is to former soldiers.
  • After dismantling a sundown law, two members of the Hart administration's legal team converse and relate over the sad reality that they likely won't climb the ranks of their career, since one of them is African American and the other is a Jewish woman, two minorities who will be discriminated against.
• Confidence Building Scheme: McCarthy isn't a man with self-confidence, so Hart tries to build his motivation up by complimenting his work. Truthfully, Hart knows that McCarthy hasn't been the best Secretary of Agriculture, but this is only hinted by his second-long hesitation and he doesn't let McCarthy know this.
• Consolation Prize:
  • If Hart's first bill fails to pass Congress, his early defeat can be somewhat compensated with a more acceptable bill in the Diversity in Education Act. It's deliberately less radical to attract moderates and win back some goodwill, giving an opportunity for the player to get something in for the early game.
  • After angering millions of farmers with his protectionist policies against foreign crops, Hart tries to win them back with subsidies. One rural store owner knows that it's a figurative band-aid, but he remains loyal to the RDC.
• Contempt Crossfire: The Substance Abuse Recovery Act is criticized by both wings of the NPP, as the nationalists accuse it of coddling dangerous criminals and the progressives denounce it as too mild to fix the root of the issue.
• Cool, but Inefficient: The Americar Chevelle has a sleek body and a 140-horsepower engine, but it also weighs two tons and thus isn't fuel efficient.
• Cool Car:
  • Though still in the design phase by Ford, the Bobcat is a sleek and modern supermini with front-wheel drive and a three-door hatchback. If Ford is chosen as the manufacturer, the Bobcat is the most coveted design for the Americar and Hart will need to drive a hard bargain for them to give out an experimental design for a risky financial endeavor. If they do, the final design in the Americar Bravo will also have a roomy interior, and a tunable engine, all compacted into only 1,835 pounds.
  • From GM, the Buick Century Cruiser has a sleek, rocket-like design with the most fuel-efficient engine in the industry and state-of-the-art airbags. It's a car most engineers can only dream of and it's the best offer Hart can get from the manufacturer. When finalized, the Americar Century Cruiser also includes a see-through roof and metallic paint.
• Cool Teacher: A teacher at Brownridge Elementary is enthusiastic about teaching her students and has kept this passion up for a dozen years. Sadly, her joy will be dampened during the white flight crisis, which forces budgetary restraints on the school and leaves with her outdated curricula, though she's still motivated to make do for the students' sake.
• Cool Train: Many proposals are drawn if the Nationalization and Electrification plan is rejected, with the most memorable ones being streamlined trains with reduced drag and solar-powered trains.
• Crazy Enough to Work:
  • The most ambitious bill that Hart and Jacobs can draft is the Municipality Housing Act, which will fund the construction of affordable houses for millions of Americans and for decades to come. Almost every conservative in Congress denounces it as a money sink and even the more liberal Republicans like George Romney are squeamish about it, yet Hart can rally enough support to get it passed anyway and take major steps in resolving homelessness, far more than the Rebuild the Ghettos Act.
  • The Nationalization and Electrification program is a radical, three-step strategy to nationalizing every rail business during the Oil Crisis. The government will first buy up railway assets, assimilate them under the one company, the Consolidated Rail Administration (ConRail), and reopen them by electrifying the rail lines. It's an outrageously expensive plan that Chep has his doubts on, but if Hart favors it, it proves to be a major success, saving many workers from losing their jobs, generating billions in revenue, and connecting the country even further.
• Culture Clash: In his first meeting in the Japanese Isles, Kissinger is served sushi by his hosts, in which he repeatedly fumbles his chopsticks when he tries to eat.
• Cutting Corners:
  • If approached to manufacture the Americar, Ford II's first offer is to manufacture the Falcon, the cheapest option possible that's about to be retired soon.
  • Since paved roads would be too expensive, Hart can build the rural infrastructure with gravel roads or even cheaper dirt roads, even though this will make him less popular for rural America.
• Damned by Faint Praise:
  • Chep doesn't sound confident with either of the auto companies that can be partnered for the Americar program, giving the faintest compliment that comes off as more insulting.
    (Text for Ford) "Well, Ford is cheap. I'll give them that."
    (Text for GM) "Well, GM's got quality, if nothing else."
  • When the unimpressive Americar Falcon is shown to the press, Zsa Zsa comments on its lack of features beyond two mirrors, a radio, and airbags. The best compliment she can give is that it's a "great starter car".
  • Zsa Zsa will inspect the Americar Delta 88 and comment on its small size, sarcastically quipping that it would be "marvelous" for people like her Hungarian grandmother.
• Death or Glory Attack: One of the first moves he can make against Germany is recruiting spies in the Wehrmacht, which could easily backfire, but it provides far more benefits in the long term compared to the alternative of organizing a propaganda campaign.
• Defiant to the End: During the race riots, black neighborhoods take a stand against police brutality and refuse to back down, even when the police attack them with nightsticks and fire hoses. Even though many are injured, they are motivated to fight for their people's struggle.
• Despair Event Horizon: If Hart doesn't solve the race riots, a surviving black American from the conflict will reevaluate his political beliefs as he cleans the sidewalk. Once a proud Democrat, he loses all interest in politics and gives up hope that any American politician will seriously help the black community, viewing any promises as an empty distraction to draw voters.
• Destroy the Evidence: Subverted. After the rescue attempt of R.A. fails, his CIA personnel attempt to destroy their classified material before they are caught. Unfortunately, they aren't quick enough and Germany exposes the United States' meddling.
• The Determinator: As budget constraints afflict the cities during the white flight, a police detective notices an uptick in violent crimes and blames the Hart administration for inciting this crisis. However, he never gives up his job on solving cases and delivering justice because it's the least thing he could do in an unjust world.
• Developer's Foresight: The introduction of the American-Japanese Pacific Transit Theory accounts for how favorable it is for the United States. In most circumstances, the treaty is controversial, with the American public divided between peace in the Pacific or holding grudges against their mortal enemy. However, if it's very pro-American, the treaty will be accepted by everyone but the most extreme hawks, making it likely that it will pass the Senate.
• Didn't See That Coming: Of all the troubles he expected during the détente, Kissinger never anticipated that Japanese short-sightedness would kill it. He'll be caught off-guard if Japan totally rejects the American-Japanese Pacific Transit Treaty, simply because he requested loosened civil transit, calling them "worthless fools" in a rare moment of anger and shock.
• Digging Yourself Deeper: The police kill six African Americans if a race riot happens in Atlanta, with the governor publicly expressing pride in the police's response against "criminal elements". These words just embolden the civil rights demonstrators to bite back harder.
• Dismissing a Compliment: When Hart professes his gratitude for everything he's done, Chep isn't initially moved because he thinks Hart is obligated to say that out of etiquette. However, Hart tells him that the compliment is genuine and that he would name an office building in his memory if he could, which leaves Chep flustered.
• Disproportionate Retribution: With an incredibly harsh Crime Bill, the police will start dealing harsh punishments for the most minor crimes. Specifically, loitering, littering, jaywalking, minor vandalism, speeding, and drinking in public are worthy of arrest. It doesn't help either that this draconian treatment is targeted specifically against black Americans. Various testimonies reveal individual cases of legal cruelty:
  • One victim recalls being thrown to the ground, put in prison for six months, and blacklisted from a job, simply for jaywalking, loitering, and littering; he was incorrectly accused of committing the last one.
  • Another mentions that he was confronted for drinking in public, even though he was drinking water. For this, he was put in county jail for four months, lost his job, and was evicted from his apartment.
  • A wife recalls that her husband was arrested for speeding and put in prison until he died of a heart attack.
• The Dissenter Is Always Right: In a meeting early in his presidency, Hart seems to get approval from everyone on his policy agenda, except for Jacobs. Contrary to Chep's advocacy of vague promises, Jacobs argues that the Hart administration must take a clearer stand in urban renewal, since cities will be the frontlines for infrastructure investments, civil rights, and education reforms. One by one, the attendees nod in agreement and Hart is convinced to take her word.
• Do Not Do This Cool Thing: An in-universe case happens if Hart passes an incredibly harsh Crime Bill, which ironically leads to a higher rate of petty crime because criminals are merely emboldened by the legislation.
• Do Well, But Not Perfect: Hart's Crime Bill should be powerful, but not powerful enough that it reaches "incredibly harsh" status and encourages the overpolicing of minority neighborhoods, something that Rustin will point out. If a powerful Federal Crime Bill is passed, people can get arrested for minor offenses like littering, while racial profiling becomes common, achieving the opposite effect of what Hart intended.
• Double Standard: Abuse, Female on Male: Discussed between her and Hart in regards to Zsa Zsa verbally abusing Chep. At first, Jacobs makes a tasteless joke about him getting bullied by his own wife, but after a second of more thought and perspective from Hart, she realizes that it's no less serious than a woman getting abused by her husband and apologizes for the remark.
• Dramatic Pause: An exploited example by Ted Kennedy, who pauses in his conversation with Hart to pique his attention and dramatically reveal his proposal of a single-payer universal health insurance.
• Dramatically Missing the Point:
  • With taxpayers leaving in the white flight, the mayor of a city makes various budgetary cuts on his city, leaving it a broken down mess. Despite this, he's still proud of himself for "saving" the city and thinks about taking his family out in celebration, assured that his wife would be impressed with his so-called work.
  • When race riots break out, Chep is confused about why black Americans would turn on the Democrats and burn down cities. Jacobs answers that they're demanding for the equity they've long been denied, but Chep is still confused about the violence, patronizingly stating that they should no better as adults.
• Empathic Environment:
  • Subverted. The Supreme Court case decision for private school desegregation will take place in a thin drizzle, with Attorney General Abe Ribicoff commenting on the droll weather before potentially delivering the bad news that a conservative Court voted against Hart. However, the same drizzle appears if the Court is liberal and votes in favor of Hart, so the environment's meaning is null.
  • When the Supreme Court outlaws sundown laws in Lafayette county, the Hart administration team goes to a diner and sees the sunset. One of their members lampshades the moment and how it symbolizes the dismantlement of a sundown law outlawing racial minorities from the city.
  • As Hart has cancer and prepares to pass the presidency to him, Chep observes that the sky outside of their car is a slate gray, reflecting the somber mood between the two men.
• Empty Promise: At Ted Kennedy's counsel, Hart reluctantly makes empty promises to rural America of more subsidies for them and investments in farming technology. Both men know that these vows are unlikely to be met, but they're necessary to win back the confidence of millions of farmers who feel left behind on Hart's urban agenda and his protectionist policies.
• Enemy Mine: In Operation FAULKNER, the CIA will ally with German dissidents against their common enemy, the Nazi regime. The truce can go further if the CIA sacrifices their covertness to directly contact writers, artists, and other intellectuals who can discredit the Reich, but this will invariably backfire on them.
• Everyone Has Standards:
  • A rural store owner isn't fond of Hart's URI and his protectionist trade policies, but he's unnerved when his coworker rants that problems start when "negroes" get put in power. He might share his colleague's distrust of Hart, but he doesn't condone racism after he was saved by a platoon of African American soldiers in Honolulu.
  • Everyone except the most extreme fiscal hawks will support the Primary Course Meal Act, since the idea of starving young students is deplorable, even though many would oppose most of Hart's other welfare bills.
• Extreme Doormat: An exploited example by the conservatives, who paint Hart as a weakling who can't take a stance against crime. The image problem motivates Hart to draft a crime bill and disprove this exaggerated reputation.
• False Reassurance:
  • Kissinger keeps promising Hart that he will tell Truman of his secret negotiations with Japan, even though he really has no intentions to do so because he thinks Truman would interfere with his work.
  • If the Americar Maverick is produced, Chep advertises its fastback, bell-bottom suit, claiming that it contains a 170 cubic inch standard six engine with efficient smog controls. Secretly, Chep knows that these advantages have come with sacrifices, like a small seat space, but he doesn't mention that fact. Unfortunately for him, Zsa Zsa exposes the Americar's small size, embarrassing Chep and annoying Ford II.
  • When New York City declares bankruptcy, Jacobs attends a press conference and is confronted with scathing questions about how Hart's URI brought this crisis. Jacobs tries to reassure the journalists that local fiscal irresponsibility was a greater contributing factor than the URI, but no one is convinced and keep hammering her with more questions. Jacobs herself knows that the reassurance is ineffective, but the best she can do is hold her tongue.
  • After the bankruptcy crisis' worst stages, Chep tries to raise morale in Hart's dejected cabinet with news that no more cities are becoming bankrupt, but Hart isn't inspired at all, knowing that the troubles have done irreparable damage to the economy and the URI's publicity.
  • During the white flight, an urbanite receives horrible news that the public housing block's budget has been cut and that his apartment is going to be taken away. When one of his sons, unaware of what's happening, asks to be read a bedtime story, the father tells him that it's just been a "long day" and hides his discontent.
  • If the Pacific Transit Treaty is killed in the Senate, Takeuchi tries to reassure Kissinger that it's possible to salvage the negotiation, but he pauses when he tries to elaborate his point, showing that any chance of détente is truly over.
  • Subverted when Kissinger allows Japan to invest in pro-OFN Asian countries, where Winston Lord worries that it could ruin the Democratic party and détente if this concession leaks. Kissinger initially thinks about promising to clamp down on possible leaks, but he realizes that it would sound hollow, so he keeps silent and takes the risk by sending the PAST to Congress.
• Fascinating Eyebrow: When the Oil Crisis hits, Hart raises his eyebrow in curiosity when an aide tells him that John Murray of the Association of American Railroads announced that six railroads filed for bankruptcy, due to the energy crisis.
• Firing Day: As middle-class Americans move out of the cities in the white flight crisis, a foreman suspends his project and fires his construction workers because the city lacks the tax money to keep their jobs, leaving their half-finished overpass to rust.
• Fist of Rage: Subverted if Japan rejects the PAST's denuclearization policy, where Kissinger runs his hand through his hair and nearly balls it into a fist in frustration.
• Fist Pump: Narrowly subverted. As his negotiations with Japan go smoothly and he's invited to Tokyo to continue the talks, Kissinger almost gets the urge to pump his fist in celebration, but stops himself just in time, knowing that the battle is not over yet.
• Foregone Conclusion:
  • With the Oil Crisis bringing the rail industry to its knees, only Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific survive the initial energy crisis, but everyone, including Hart, knows that it's a matter of time before they shut down too.
  • After Hart collapses in office from his cancer, Chep admires the medics who do everything possible to save him, but he and Hart's family know that it's in vain and that Hart is on death's doorstep.
• Foregone Victory:
  • The 24th Amendment, which will lower the voting age to 18 years old, will always be ratified.
  • Takeuchi will always accept Kissinger's offer of a détente between their countries, kickstarting the latter's subplot.
• Gameplay and Story Integration: While discussing influence in the Pacific, Takeuchi receives a proposal to ease trade restrictions between Japan and the United States. Takeuchi can potentially counter-offer restrictions in the Strait of Malacca, but this option will be unavailable if Japan loses the Malaysian Emergency or the Indonesian Civil War, as they no longer have the influence to enforce this barrier.
• Golden Mean Fallacy: A major flaw in the Clean Streets Act is watering down the original proposal to appeal to the Democratic Caucus and the NPP, but this moderation means that it's less capable of addressing homelessness, something that frustrates Hart.
• Graceful Loser:
  • The American judge of the Academic Decathlon will be disappointed if the Japanese team wins, but he outwardly suppresses these ill feelings, acknowledges their intellect, and shakes their hands in congratulations.
  • On the other end of the pendulum, if the United States wins the Academic Decathlon, the Japanese team captain will congratulate the American player who scored the final question, promising that they will fight harder next time in a good-sport fashion.
  • If Japan rejects the American-Japanese Pacific Transit Treaty, Kissinger and Takeuchi will share their disappointment in the loss, but still shake hands out of respect and call it a pleasure to work with each other.
• The Graph Shows the Trend: When starting the Americar program, Hart is sent charts showing the cost of cars increasing over time, explaining why so many consumers would want a standard, generic-brand car provided by the government.
• The Greatest Story Never Told:
  • Bayard Rustin, a civil rights activist, plays a key advising role in Hart's urban reforms, reminding Jacobs to never forget about uplifting African Americans in the process. Thankful, Jacobs offers to organize a meeting between Hart and Rustin, but the activist declines because he doesn't want to bring "unwanted attention" to his presidency, content to keep their collaboration obscure for the sake of more progress.
  • If Japan rejects the thought of returning their trade ports, Kissinger will still be hailed as a hero for the work he's done already, but only he would know what the United States could've achieved if the negotiations continued.
• Hero-Worshipper: An eight-year old American adores the garbage men who clean his city block, wanting to become one himself when he grows up. He's disappointed when they no longer appear during the white flight, since their budget got cut. When his family moves and a new team of garbage men stop by the suburbs, the child forgets his irritation at moving away.
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: After subsidizing the automotive industry, McCarthy writes a letter to Hart about how his latest investments in agriculture could be detrimental to the industry and berates himself for not doing enough in the administration.
• Hidden Depths: The late Walt Disney visited Marshall Space Flight Center and turned out to be a better pilot on the docking and lunar landing simulators than most of the professional aviators.
• History Repeats:
  • If Hart's relationship with the civil rights advocates get low enough, another series of civil rights protests spring up in the United States, repeating the same unrest in Birmingham and Martin Luther King Jr.'s demonstrations a few years ago. However, these protests are much less inclined to non-violence, now that they've been snubbed for too long.
  • After passing an incredibly harsh Crime Bill and hearing Chep remorselessly dismiss its consequences, Hart interrupts by comparing himself to Draco of Athens, the first legislator of the city who instituted the death penalty for many minor crimes.
  • If the Pacific Transit Theory is rejected in the Senate, Takeuchi's staff calls it a repeat of the United States' indecisiveness over the League of Nations, first pushing for its creation, then suddenly changing its mind and dropping out.
• Hitler Ate Sugar:
  • A joking example where Jacobs proposes an advertisement campaign by setting a quota on either crime-fighting, housing, or poverty reduction. Chuckling at these suggestions, Hart comments that it sounds like a "Bolshevik planning system".
  • The Cooperative Act is accused of being socialist by its critics because it will affirm he government's support for labor unions.
  • Barry Goldwater calls the Municipality Housing Act an importation of "Soviet-style socialism" to the United States, as it will spend a tremendous amount of money to giving affordable housing.
• Hope Spot:
  • Arrested and imprisoned for speeding, thanks to an overly harsh Crime Bill, a black American was about to finish his sentence, until he suddenly dies of a heart attack one week before his release.
  • Diagnosed with melanoma, Hart seems to have a way out when the physician recommends surgery to remove the growth, informing him that the cancer hasn't spread yet. Unfortunately, the surgery fails because the melanoma has metastasized to his liver and spread to other organs, giving him around six months to a year before it kills him.
• Hypocrite:
  • If the United States invites Japan to send a team to their Academic Decathlon, the Japanese Education Minister is against the idea because it would expose their youth to America's Japanophobia, ignoring their own discrimination against their colonial subjects.
  • When Hart draws enough ire from the Urban Wealth, one union man, who's always stood for equality, will lose faith in the Democrats because they start treating African Americans as equals and letting them immigrate to the cities where he lives. In a case of doublethink, he believes that he's not personally racist and, in the next thought, bemoans that "they" have to move in his street.
• Hypocrite Has a Point: In light of their own ethnocentrism, Japan's disdain for American racism against their people is hypocritical, but their words are proven right, whether they refuse or accept. In the former case, some students hear rumors of their potential appearance and fear that they would have to compete with "robotic" Japanese students. In the later case, the Californian residents treat them with apprehension, now that the "enemy" is present.
• I Can't Believe I'm Saying This: Jacobs and Chep constantly argue with each other, but when the topic of gun control is brought up after a shooting in Chicago, the two agree on implementing stricter oversight. Jacobs and Hart are both astounded that they are actually in sync for once.
• I Was Just Joking: If consumer apathy is over 65%, Chep makes a joke about how unpopular the auto industry is, to the point that he could bust large automobile corporations and subsidize a "people's car", and the people will still love Hart. Instead of evoking light-hearted laughter, this emboldens Hart to produce all-purpose, government-subsidized cars for the people, much to the horror of Chep, who fears its effect on the national budget.
• In Spite of a Nail: Even if Hart outlaws flag burning in his Crime Bill, the Supreme Court will always deem this policy unconstitutional and that it counts as free speech protected by the First Amendment, just like in OTL.
• Innocently Insensitive:
  • Subverted in Jacobs' correspondence with Bayard Rustin. When the latter reminds her to not neglect black neighborhoods in her urban reforms, Jacobs nearly gets the urge to retort that she already thought of that. However, she realizes how much of an empty promise it would sound to Rustin, so she instead promises to bring the conversation up to Hart.
  • Meeting Takeuchi at Madrid, Kissinger opens communications with an offhand comment that they should start being "proactive". Takeuchi is internally offended at the implication that Japan isn't being so at the moment, but he keeps this to himself.
  • When meeting Walter Reuther, leader of the labor movement, Hart offhandedly mentions his concern about Reuther's public support for the Progressive Caucus. In an almost offended tone, Reuther replies back that he'll merely align with the party that best suits his interests, in which Hart realizes his mistake and apologizes for it.
  • If Hart resigns from office early due to cancer, Ted announces his intention to run for president in the 1976 Democratic primaries. The public misinterprets this as disrespectful to Hart's legacy, taking advantage of his looming death to get ahead, something Ted publicly apologizes for.
• Insistent Terminology: In the second phase of détente, Kissinger insists that the United States is not "cooperating" with Japan against Germany. According to him, they're just scaling down their military activity against Japan to focus on the Einheitspakt.
• Irony:
  • Usually, Hart is the one to spend a lot of money on his programs and Chep advises against it. These roles are reversed when they need to connect the rural districts, with Hart proposing that they cheap out with gravel roads or dirt roads, but Chep pushes for more expensive paved roads so they could appeal to the rural demographic.
  • Lampshaded when Kissinger finishes his denuclearization talks with Japan and flies back to Dulles airport, which was named after John Foster Dulles, a man who would never stand for Kissinger's détente talks. Kissinger humorously recognizes the irony.
• Irrational Hatred: Many white Americans are apprehensive of Hart's integration of black Americans, based on irrational, self-centered fears that they will bring crime, cut their wages, and crowd their schools. The first sign of growing racial tensions is when one of these bigots vandalizes a wall at St. Louis with a "vile slur".
• It Has Been an Honor:
  • Before talks for the treaty ports begins, Kissinger and Takeuchi converse at the celebration and share the sentiment that it was an honor to work with each other.
  • If he resigns following the cancer diagnosis, Hart spends his last address to the nation acknowledging his mortality, but declare that it has been an honor to serve as their President.
    A fitting end for a decent man.
  • After a successful presidency before his death, Hart will thank Chep for all the work he's done for him and encouraging him to stand strong for his remaining term.
  • Before leaving office due to his impending cancer, Hart can give a final goodbye to Jacobs, thanking her for everything she's done as a HEW Secretary and a friend. Jacobs reciprocates the feeling.
• It Has Only Just Begun: With the Urban Renewal Expansion Act, the URI will be expanded into a nationwide policy, where Hart dismisses the NPP's opposition to this and declares "This is not an end, but only a beginning".
• It's Probably Nothing: While preparing for another day in his first term's last year, Philip is told by his wife that he has a black mark on his back. Philip initially dismisses its importance, quipping that it's impossible for him to see and promising to get it checked when his wife gives him a serious look. Unfortunately, the mark turns out to be very serious; it's melanoma.
• Jerkass Has a Point:
  • In the early stages of détente, Japan can try to press their advantage by demanding more than just recognition of their Hawaiian territory; they also want fishing rights in the North Pacific and nearly up to the coast of Alaska. Hart knows that Schlafly would call them traitors for accepting this deal and, for once, he would agree and thus gives a counter-offer instead.
  • If sufficiently upset, the farmers will spare no kind words to McCarthy about their satisfaction and some of their members have internal, bigoted thoughts that they're being neglected in favor of "negroes". However, Hart and McCarthy acknowledge that their frustration is understandable. When the former organizes a speaking tour in the Midwest to calm them down, he gets hounded with questions about their troubles, getting sweaty when he gets overwhelmed.
• Kent Brockman News: After Hart fails to stop the race riots, William F. Buckley of "National Review" participates in a media interview, blaming Hart for the chaos and using buzz words like "social engineering" and "law and order" to paint him as a feckless doormat who's being lenient on the civil rights advocates.
• The Kindness of Strangers: Stricken with cancer, Hart can resign early in-office so he won't drag the nation down with him. Despite an ignoble end to a promising second term, Hart receives letters from random strangers who thank him for his years of service to the country, one even remarking that he's never agreed with his politics, but respected him nonetheless. A five-year old child joins the action and sends a drawing that's hard to understand, but still has sweet intentions and has a simple message "be ok".
• Know When to Fold 'Em:
  • Kissinger is disappointed if Japan rejects his proposed loosened civil transits in Hawaii, but he sets this issue aside and never brings it up again, so long as the negotiations continue.
  • The Americar program will start costing taxpayers their money if consumer apathy isn't higher than 68%, 73%, and 82% for each respective Americar level. Knowing that Congress will fight over who will fund the program, Hart can pull the plug on the deal and cut his losses earlier rather than later.
  • Though Hart and Jane are enraged to hear Robert Moses split a non-white neighborhood with a highway, they may reluctantly withdraw from punishing him because it'd take too much effort to do so.
  • Knowing that the budget hawks will attack the Municipality Housing Act for being too expensive, Hart can reluctantly moderate his stance and draft the Rebuild the Ghettos Act with Romney's help. It's less ambitious, excludes municipal governments from the decision making process, and has no guarantees for maintenance and future construction, but it still can provide more homes to millions.
  • As negotiations for the PAST drag into weeks, Kissinger realizes that the militarist elements of Japan will never accept the idea of their countries not interfering in each other's spheres of influence, so he withdraws from Tokyo.
  • Likewise from the PAST, Hart can reject its proposal to Congress because it could be too controversial for his administration and he'd rather save his goodwill for matters like civil rights and healthcare.
  • During the white flight crisis, Hart gets heckled by an audience at a Philadelphia press conference, who blame him for ruining their city's budget. Recognizing how unpopular he is, Hart cancels his Q&A and retreats back to Washington.
  • In terms of civilian maritime law, Japan can agree to lift the trade barriers everywhere except in the Strait of Malacca. Hart can accept this counter-offer, which will deal a blow to détente's popularity, but keep the negotiations going.
  • After being diagnosed with cancer in his second term, Hart can announce his illness to the public and tearfully resigns so that the more healthy Chep can take over the presidency.
• Last Request: Dying from cancer, Hart can desperately request Jacobs to not give up on Chep, despite their differences, telling her of how far he's come and that abandoning him now would doom everything they've worked on for years. Reluctantly, Jacobs accepts.
• Lazy Bum: If rural America is neglected too much, a farmer thinks about how lazy the twins of her family are getting, wanting to move to the big city instead of doing their chores. To her, this signifies how ill-treated the farmers are by the Hart administration and she loses faith that they will do anything to help them.
• Leg Focus: During the Americar Maverick's presentation, Zsa Zsa grabs the attention of the reports by showing her bare legs.
• Leonine Contract: Before the annual Academic Decathlon, Chep and Truman can optionally invite a team from Japan to join the competition, knowing that they'll have to accept the challenge or else they'll look like cowards. If they do refuse, the Hart administration loses nothing.
• Let No Crisis Go to Waste:
  • If the white flight crisis isn't resolved in time, the cities will need to slash their funding on public services, which criminals eagerly take advantage of by preying and robbing the families who can't leave.
  • As faith in the Democrats wanes in the race riots, the NPP launches political campaigns, urging voters to throw their support behind them. Some Americans, even former Democrats, are swayed to do so, producing a surge of support for the Nationalist, Marxist, and Sovereigntist caucuses.
  • With oil in short supply during the Oil Crisis, Kissinger's last round in the détente is spent offering this valuable resource to Japan in exchange for returning the trade ports to the United States.
• Liar Revealed: Hart discreetly performs and hides his cancer diagnosis by taking "vacations" to Camp David and his home in Michigan. If he doesn't publicly reveal it soon enough, one of his staffers will find out the truth and reveal it to the public via a leak to the Washington Post.
• Lineage Comes from the Father: Henry Ford II follows the legacy of his grandfather, running Ford World Headquarters as cheaply and quickly as possible, as well as running out competitors without mercy.
• Live-Action Adaptation: Subverted. NASA gives Days the license to use the "Tom Corbett" character for a new TV show, but they suggest that it should be animated instead of live-action because of budgetary restraints, specifically recommending the Walt Disney Company for the task.
• Living Legend: Dr. Gordon Moore is a well-renowned inventor. While Guangdong was dominating the electronics industry, Moore left Fairchild Semiconductors to found his own company, Intel, and create transistor designs capable of competing with the Sphere's. Hart enthusiastically recruits him to produce more advanced household appliances, particularly admiring the first dynamic random access memory chip made by him.
• Loophole Abuse:
  • Since open segregation is considered deplorable, many private schools start favoring the enrollment of white students over black students to maintain the racist structure in a more subtle manner. Hart catches wind of this loophole and, with Chep's help, tries to plug it in.
  • If an incredibly harsh Crime Bill passes, two racist cops will accuse a black man for drinking in public, even though he was really drinking water. Conveniently, they only confront him when he finishes his drink and lacks evidence to prove his innocence, so he's unjustly jailed for four months.
• Loved by All: Congress may be divided between different caucuses, but almost all of them unconditionally respect the military veterans of their country. The Forever GI Bill, which is designed to help them, is popular in Congress and people will be astounded if it somehow fails.
• Lower-Class Lout: An exploited trope by Hart's opponents, who frame his welfare bills as sending aid to stereotypical "welfare queens" who can coast by on government money and laze about.
• Luminescent Blush: Chep's face turns red when the Americar Maverick is presented and Zsa Zsa says that it's small enough that she'd lose her head, if she had a high hair-do.
• Make an Example of Them: Furious that Robert Moses is building a highway through a neighborhood of racial minorities, Hart can intervene and publicly punish him as an example for anyone trying to harm non-white communities through subtle means.
• Mean Boss: As far as Ford II's concerned, his workers better like the way he's running the company or they can leave.
• Men Don't Cry: Subverted after Hart's death, where Chep visits his coffin and desperately tries to hold back his tears, but he can't and lets everything loose.
• Metaphorically True: While heading to the Iberian embassy without the perceived Unwanted Assistance of Truman, Kissinger tells the Secretary of State that he's heading overseas for "networking" purposes. It's a half-truth because Kissinger is trying to dethaw relations with Japan there, but he neglects to mention that specific, controversial fact to Truman.
• Morton's Fork: Once his German informant, R.A., is uncovered to be a spy by the Reich, Kissinger can try to save him or leave him behind to cover the United States' clues to their meddling. Unfortunately, neither outcome can save R.A. If the first option is picked, R.A. will make a detour from his escape to Switzerland to rescue his partner, getting him caught by German agents. If the second option is picked, R.A. kills himself to avoid interrogation.
• The Millstone: Despite coming from the same party, Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley gets cold feet over Hart's expensive overhaul of the Department of Commerce Bureau of Transportation and throws a wrench in his plans by asking for an audit before throwing his support.
• Moment of Lucidity: If Hart doesn't resign by the time he enters metastasis, he lies in a hospital bed, lapsing in and out of consciousness, before he gets a sudden burst of energy, asking God why he's done this to him and begging for more time to complete his work. After shouting a few sentences, his mind goes blank again and his heart monitor flatlines.
• Moral Myopia:
  • Mercy Middle School sues the Hart administration for investigating the racial bias in their school enrollment, denying black students an education experience, yet decrying the government's intervention as infringing on their rights.
  • Some farmers can be disillusioned in Hart's policies, thinking that they're neglected by his administration. However, they take lot of grievance with his civil rights bills and, without a hint of self-awareness, have no problem leaving African Americans to squalor.
  • Many racist Americans fear monger that black people will bring crime to their neighborhoods, even after one black man is doused in gasoline and burned to death by a gang of white supremacists.
  • During the race riots, a newspaper reports on the number of police officers injured and the amount of taxpayers' money lost in the violence, conveniently ignoring the law's brutal suppression against black Americans to paint the civil rights advocates as hooligans. William F. Buckley from the National Review makes similar claims with the same level of myopia, painting the cops as innocent victims bullied by black Americans who think it's okay to throw rocks at them or burn stores down.
• My Country, Right or Wrong: When Kissinger heads to Tokyo to negotiate for the treaty ports, he sees some angry looking military men who despise the policy of détente, but obey their Prime Minister anyways.
• My God, What Have I Done?:
  • After breaking trust with Little America, Hart dejectedly wonders what he's doing, having squandered his promise that everyone would benefit from his administration.
  • From the same rural revolt situation, McCarthy receives a letter, denouncing him as a tyrant casting the farmers aside and warning him that he'll get retribution for this. McCarthy knows that he's protected by the Secret Service and the letter is bravado, but he still feels guilty that he failed his duties and even considers how he'll be the Hart administration's scapegoat for this crisis.
  • If the Crime Bill is incredibly harsh, petty crime and extreme policing will become widespread throughout the nation. Hart is horrified by what he's done, realizing that his overidealistic worldview has brought real harm to innocent civilians, especially black Americans who are subjected to the worst legal punishments for minor offenses.
  • When Kissinger's shady actions are leaked to the public and create a near-irreparable rift in public trust, Hart realizes how wrong it was to abet in his minister's corrupt tactics, especially when Kissinger suggests finding the leaker by wiretapping the State Department HQ and doubling down on his methods.
  • After giving a eulogy for Truman's passing, Hart internally berates himself for hiding Kissinger's talks from him and instigation of factionalism in the State Department, ending their relationship on icy terms.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
  • An overly powerful crime bill will blow up in Hart's face, as the police become increasingly predatory and willing to arrest anyone for the most minor transgressions. With it, the citizens become afraid of going out in public, while actual lawbreakers are encouraged by the spike in crimes to continue their ways.
  • As railroads begin filing for bankruptcy during the Oil Crisis, Chep objects to the "Nationalization and Electrification" program to nationalize the businesses, fearing the anger from budget hawks to such a plan. Listening to this suggestion will backfire on Hart, as the railroads shut down under his watch, including the historic Union Pacific.
• No Sympathy: A veteran from the Battle of Pretoria has trouble readjusting to society after the traumatizing experience, but his mother gives him no sympathy and nags his inability to get a job. By contrast, his father is much gentler and helps him sleep through his nightmares by exhausting him through exercise.
• New Media Are Evil: Hart rants about children's programming on TV, unable to believe that parents set up their kids to watch it for hours and "rot" their brains. Thus, he invites James Day, the founder of PBS, to put forth more television shows aimed at an older demographic.
• "Not So Different" Remark:
  • Jacobs herself points out similarities in her and Chep's ability to rally popular support for their movements, whether it be in New York against Moses or in New Orleans against Huey Long.
  • After the Pacific Transit Treaty passes and Hart apologizes for keeping the negotiations secret, a disappointed Truman sighs and comments that the scandal would make Hart no different than Nixon's corrupt dealings.
• Obliviously Evil: When an incredibly harsh Crime Bill is passed, a police officer arrests six young black Americans because store owners accused them of loitering. Despite his predatory policing, the officer thinks that he did a public service and that his "work" will never stop.
• An Offer You Can't Refuse: R.A. forcibly becomes The Mole for the CIA under threat of outing his homosexuality and his sexual partners, as well as emphasizing the possible punishment to his family, if he's ever exposed. At one point, the pressure causes him to attempt suicide, but the CIA are unsympathetic.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • When the bankruptcy crisis hits America, Jacobs feels drowsy and sick to her stomach when she receives the news, requesting a call to Hart so they can quickly fix the problem.
  • Following the same crisis, Jacobs informs Hart that 15 URI-projected cities will be facing bankruptcy or harsh austerity, with 47 more cities projected to join them by the end of the year. Hart is shocked and mortified by the news and immediately tells his cabinet to formulate a solution quickly.
  • If the bankruptcy crisis lasts long enough for New York City to declare Chapter 9 bankruptcy, other cities facing similar troubles will panic, knowing that a similar fate is inevitable, if it could bring down a city like New York.
  • Hart stresses when he receives polling numbers during the white flight crisis, hearing how his policies polarized much of the country. This motivates him to start making more calls into the night so that no one can accuse him of laziness.
• Once Done, Never Forgotten:
  • GM's reputation took a serious hit when Ralph Nader accused its cars of being unsafe, a PR nightmare that the company still hasn't shaken off. This is why James Roche is so reluctant to accept the Americar proposal and take a serious risk.
  • The first step to Kissinger's détente is the American-Japanese Pacific Transit Treaty, which can have favorable terms for the United States and mark a turning point in the two nations' relationship. However, some will zealously reject the treaty in Congress because they're still raw about their defeat in World War II and will never forgive Japan for it.
• Only in It for the Money: If Hart proposes a partnership for the Americar, Ford II's first concern is if the company can make any money off of it, not caring for its societal benefits or the ideology it stands for.
• Overt Rendezvous: Philip Hart, Chep Morrison, and Carl Albert are the three top men in the line of succession, yet they meet in the town hall of humble McAlester, Oklahoma while preparing a speech against racism. Albert lampshades this, knowing that similarly powerful people would meet in the Volkshalle of Germania or the executive office in Guangdong instead.
• Police Brutality:
  • The riot police use extreme force against black civil rights protestors, using dogs and tear gas to suppress them. In an ultimate display of hypocrisy, they never employ this level of violence against white supremacist demonstrators.
  • When a race riot breaks out in Atlanta, the police try to suppress the civil rights protestors with fire hoses, nightsticks and warning shots. When those don't work, they start opening fire on them with shotguns, leaving half a dozen dead.
  • In the same race riot crisis, similar levels of brutality are used to stop marching black Americans in Los Angeles, with deadly force authorized to stop any looting. This provokes the rioters to loot even more and throw firebombs at the police, burning the city down.
  • In Columbus, Ohio, the race riots are suppressed when the police fire teargas containers at the crowds. There are even rumors of police snipers shooting at unarmed protestors.
• Pragmatic Villainy:
  • If Kissinger makes the first move in the negotiations, Takeuchi will agree to his proposal of adjusting the maritime borders so that American fishers in Hawaii can make their living, as leaving the matter unsettled could lead to escalation with the IJN gunboats. Alternatively, if Japan is given the first move, they can offer a concession to the United States by extending their American fishing rights in exchange for a recognition of Hawaii's status under their control.
  • Japan can agree with Takeuchi and Kissinger's proposal to permit free travel in Hawaii, allowing American citizens to visit their loved ones to continue their negotiations with the United States.
  • Despite his unsavory disagreements with the Hart administration, J. William Fulbright agrees to support the PAST treaty when Humphrey promises more funding for the Fulbright program.
• Prayer Is a Last Resort: If Hart enters metastasis while still in office, Chepd desperately prays to God as a last resort for Hart to recover and not pass the presidency onto him.
• Propaganda Machine: Operation FAULKNER is a CIA effort to set up Radio Free Europe to influence European opinion against Germany, exposing their atrocities and scandals through German exiles, defectors, and journalists. It's a far less risky plan than the mutually exclusive Operation NIGHTHAWK and proves remarkably successful, in spite of German attempts to jam their transmissions.
• Realpolitik: Despite their ideological disagreements, the United States can invite Japan to their National Academic Decathlon as a "friendly competition" to see who has the more educated youth.
• Richard Nixon, the Used Car Salesman: Valentin Glushko was a famous Russian scientist in real-life, who designed the Soviet Union's rocket engines for their space program. Here, it's mentioned that he is working for NASA, since the Soviet Union was destroyed in the Second World War.
• Right Under Their Noses: Kissinger sneaks off to Tokyo in the second phase of détente by boarding Mexico's Presidential plane, drawing little suspicion while he, Winston Lord, and two Secret Service men are secretly flown to Japan.
• Rousing Speech:
  • If the National Health Insurance Act fails in Congress, Ted will be consoled by Hart, who assures him that failure can happen to even a President or a Kennedy, giving him a pep talk to keep fighting for healthcare.
  • The railway industry will be saved with the Nationalization and Electrification plan, where Hart commemorates its achievements in a highly publicized speech, acknowledging its effective mitigation of the Oil Crisis and announcing that the fight to save the country is made much easier.
• Sadist: One civil rights advocate recalls being attacked by police dogs, sicced by officers who laughed at his suffering.
• Saturday-Morning Cartoon: An in-universe case with the Adventures of Tom Corbett show, following the titular space ranger and his diverse crew on a nuclear-thermal rocket ship, the Polaris. It breaks new ground in the sci-fi genre by rejecting its old tropes and depicting groundbreaking plots where the crew explore strange and hostile worlds, reflecting contemporary discoveries like the acidic clouds of Venus and the ice caps of Europa.
• The Scapegoat:
  • If Hart fails to manage the bankruptcy crisis, many cities will go under and blame the URI's expensive programs for swamping them in debt, a narrative that many budget hawks jump on, even though more factors contributed to the situation.
  • In the white flight crisis, many white Americans move out of the cities and into the suburbs because of rising crime, urban renewal failures, and terrible infrastructure, in which they blame the recently-integrated black Americans for these problems. Worse still, when their migration starts cutting the cities' tax money and forces them to make budgetary cuts, they blame Hart and his spending on the URI instead of their own bigotry.
• Science Marches On: Discussed in-universe when Day needs to create a television show for older children, but can't rely on old sci-fi series like Luck Starr because new discoveries have dated its plot points. At Isaac Asmiov's suggestion, Day will need to overhaul the setting so that it resonates with the audience, giving him the idea of reviving the Tom Corbett character, who will travel the solar system in an atomic rocket, relating to how NASA is working on a nuclear rocket engine.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: If Hart doesn't reveal his cancer diagnosis to the public, a random staff member will leak it because he doesn't think it's right for him to keep a secret that important to the nation.
• Selective Enforcement: The riot police are very biased in terms of who can march on the streets. If the demonstrators are black, they respond with extreme force and cordon them into black neighborhoods so that white neighborhoods won't be damaged. However, if the protestors are white, they will either cooperate with them or give them half-hearted demands to return home.
• Self-Deprecation: Despite getting increasingly unhealthy with his cancer, Hart humorously suggests that he should make fun of his complexion at a speech, when Chep suggests that he use jokes to earn the audience's favor.
• Serious Business: Growing a beard might sound inconsequential, but a lot of voters take it seriously, seeing it as a sign of unprofessionalism. When Hart grows one, Chep advises him to shave it because it could hurt the Democrats' performance in the midterms.
• Shell-Shocked Veteran: A veteran from the Battle of Pretoria is invited to the White House to speak in support of the 24th Amendment, where he confesses to the President that he's been haunted by the experience of war. He gets nervous being around crowds, has nightmares that he can only sleep through if he's exhausted by exercise beforehand, can't get a job, and doesn't feel integrated with his friend circle. Hart sympathizes with him and gives him one last encouragement before his speech.
• Shining City: Hart's focus "Shining Megalopolis On A Hill" features a literal shining city to symbolize his efforts to combat lawlessness and poverty in the urbanscape.
• Significant Name Overlap: The United States can win the Academic Decathlon against Japan because one of the competitors had a childhood crush on a girl named Jenny, which reminds him of Dr. Edward Jenner and gives him the answer to the question "who carried out the first successful inoculations". This bags the United States' victory by two points.
• Single Tear: If Hart resigns from office to spend his last living days with his family, he will shed a single tear over his misfortune, wishing that he could live to complete his second term and see his family give birth to grandchildren.
• So Proud of You: After Ted passes the National Health Insurance Act, Hart and Chep will cheerfully congratulate him, with the former telling him that he's proud of how far he's come since they first met.
• The Stool Pigeon: If Hart doesn't prepare to share his cancer diagnosis, one of his staff members leaks it to a journalist from the Washington Post, provided that his identity be kept anonymous.
• Strongly Worded Letter: As race riots mount between white and black Americans, the Governor of Pennsylvania issues a vague statement that the violence is coming from a small contingent and that the city government is monitoring the situation. No one is impressed by the aggressively inoffensive message.
• Stylistic Suck: After Hart resigns, a five-year old sends him an incomprehensible crayon drawing, with a sloppily written "be ok". The messiness is appropriate given his young age.
• Sunk Cost Fallacy: If the Americar program has a disappointing start, Hart can keep the project running and spend more money to save face, and hope that there is a small chance of it somehow getting off the ground.
• Swivel-Chair Antics: Discussed when Zsa Zsa sees the seats of the Americar Chevelle, dropping her complaints about its small interior to compliment its swivel chairs, which she loves more than regular seats.
• Taking Up the Mantle: E. Cardon Walker, the current President of Walt Disney Company, accepts Day's proposal for a ''Tom Corbett' animated series because Walt Disney was also interested in space technology and spread public awareness about them. Now, Walker believes it's his duty to carry on this legacy.
• Teen Genius: If the National Academic Decathlon is reserved for American teams, Hart will be interviewed by one of the high school competitors, asking very mature and intellectual questions about his URI platform. Hart is overwhelmed by the difficult questions, but is impressed by her interest, and Chep thinks about offering her an internship.
• Third-Party Peacekeeper: Subverted in the wake of race riots in Columbus. Hart tries to calm the conflict by imploring everyone to stop the violence, but his pleas fall on deaf ears and the city continues to burn.
• This Cannot Be!: If the bankruptcy crisis happens, Mayor John Lindsey receives news that McAlester, Oklahoma declared bankruptcy and started a crimewave when they slashed the police's budget, invoking his disbelief that New York could meet a similar yet unimaginable fate.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: The Nour family suffers greatly during the Oil Crisis, where the patriarch loses his job at the bankrupt railway shipping lane and he becomes a lowly clerk at a corner store. Fortunately, he gets a new wind of luck if the Nationalization and Electrification plan is approved, with Con Rail offering him a job for a $30,000 paycheck and granting him his American Dream.
• Timed Mission:
  • Hart's Urban Development Initiative is a timed mission where Hart must move quickly if he is to have a successful presidency. If his reforms come too slowly, the budget hawks, urban wealth, and rural America demographics become disillusioned with his spending and cut their support for his campaign.
  • A surprisingly effective way to build good PR for the Hart administration is setting yearly goals focused on tackling either crime, homelessness, or poverty. When one is prioritized, the player has a limited time window to meet the quota on fixing this issue before the next year arrives and a new issue can be chosen.
• Too Desperate to Be Picky:
  • If Japan signs the Pacific Area Security Treaty without pushing for open investment in OFN-aligned Asian countries, Winston Lord concludes that they must have been desperate to accept the one-sided deal.
  • In the bankruptcy crisis, Lindsey realizes that New York City's taxpayers will attack him for the incoming financial ruin, so he calls the federal government for help. He's normally not one to beg to the feds, but the situation is desperate enough for it to be his only choice.
• Too Dumb to Live: The CIA can give money to German intellectuals, intended to start a longer-term alliance and destabilize the Reich. However, the attempt ends in disaster when their contact wastes the money to emigrate Germany with several women, which leads to him getting caught and tortured to give up his associates' locations. This kills the two CIA agents associated with him and one innocent civilian, as well as the arrest of the contact's conspirators, rendering Operation FAULKNER a failure.
• Took a Level in Badass: With the USDOC Modernization Act, the Department of Commerce will completely reform its outdated structure and have far greater power to coordinate the states and improve the national highway system.
• Took a Level in Cynic: Some members of Jacobs' staff will lose faith if Hart mismanages the bankruptcy crisis, staring, avoiding, or shaking their heads at the President in disappointment.
• Tranquil Fury:
  • If the Hart administration bargains too hard for the Americar with him, Henry Ford II will call the entire negotiation a waste of time and, in a calm yet palpably furious tone, throw the papers to the floor, outraged that the government lead his company on a "stupid ambition".
  • When the bankruptcy crisis is mismanaged, Lindsey calls Hart to sarcastically thank him for his help and announce that he will declare New York's bankruptcy the next day, all in a calm tone that still communicates a mix of anger and disappointment.
• Uncertain Doom: In Operation FAULKNER's failure scenario, the contact captured and forced to give up his associates' locations is left to an uncertain fate. However, the CIA suspects that he was tortured during the interrogation, which doesn't bode well for him.
• Undisclosed Funds: With the America Invests Act and the Urban Commitment Act, it's unspecified how much money the federal government will need to shell for the Urban Renewal Initiative's city programs and to split the costs with the cities. However, there is an assertion that it's a large amount of money.
• The Unsmile: Zsa Zsa accompanies the announcement of the Americar Falcon or the Americar Delta 88, quipping about their lack of luxuries and their compact space, respectively. Chep forces himself to smile, despite knowing how disastrous this will be on Hart's PR.
• Urban Segregation: Chicago's immigrants have always stayed separate from each other on the basis of race. The URI attempts to address this and push for integration, but a lot of white Americans disdain the black Americans moving into the same neighborhoods. If the race riots begin, arguments and fights spill between these demographics, unable to overcome the shadow that segregation left behind.
• Video Game Cruelty Potential: The CIA can string along R.A. as an informant under threat of outing his homosexuality and, when his collaboration is discovered, leave him behind to face punishment so the United States can hide their involvement and get away with the intel they've collected. Sadly, this is the pragmatically successful outcome to Operation NIGHTHAWK, since attempting to save him will fail and embarrass the United States internationally.
• Villainous Legacy: As Jacobs learns from a penpal, the hateful legacy of segregation still persists in American society through racial discrimination in housing, pitted against minorities like African Americans. The Urban Housing Opportunity Act is a good first step to fixing this.
• The War Has Just Begun:
  • When Japan agrees to extend American fishing rights in Hawaii, Kissinger briefly celebrates his first victory before acknowledging that more work is needed to complete the détente, namely offering something back to Japan for the favor.
  • If Hart averts the bankruptcy crisis, Mayor John Lindsey calls Jacobs to thank her for the help, but the Secretary knows that this conflict is not the last problem the Hart administration will see and vows to keep fighting.
    The work is never finished...
• War Refugees: As the Axis tore through Eastern Europe, millions of citizens immigrated to the United States to escape the war and genocides carried out against their home countries. This surge allowed various Eastern European immigrant organizations to develop and form powerful voting blocs, including the "Committee for a Free Eastern Europe", "Baltic Freedom", the "Bukharin Society", the "Free Lithuania Group" and the "National Committee for Free Europe".
• We Don't Suck Anymore: James Roche has been determined to overcome GM's reputation of developing unsafe automobiles, publicly demonstrating this by designing the Monte Carlo, which has reasonable fuel mileage and back air shocks to minimize the impact of accidents. It's nice enough that it's GM's second offer for the Americar, if pushed.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: If Japan refuses to join the Academic Decathlon, a competitor still puts his best effort because his parents are watching his performance and he wants to impress them.
• Wham Line:
  • After Kissinger starts negotiating for the trade ports, Truman reveals to Hart that there has been a leak about it to the press. Hart's face goes pale white, knowing the catastrophic damage it will do his administration's public trust.
  • While Hart is getting ready for another day at work, his wife notices a black mark on his back and has him checked out for it. After some tests, the physician comes back with earth-shattering news.
    'You have melanoma, Mr. President.''
• Wham Shot: If Hart doesn't resign, he attends a regular meeting with Jacobs to discuss housing affordability. Then, the mundane atmosphere is interrupted when he tries to reach for something and he collapses, meaning that his cancer has entered metastasis and his condition is critical.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Behind Truman's back, Hart remains complicit in Kissinger's secret negotiations with Japan without so much as telling his Secretary of State. When Kissinger's work is made public to the Senate, Truman calls Hart out on how disastrous the situation could've been if the negotiations backfired and the undemocratic nature of such secrecy, calling it Nixonite.
• The Workhorse: The Metroliner is a relatively inefficient train to the Superliner, but the Budd company managers may stick with it because of its familiarity.
• Wretched Hive: If the white flight isn't stopped in time, the city will lose its taxpayers and slash its public services budget. As a result, areas like Harlem, the Black Belt, and Fuller Park become run-down with poverty and crime, as families that can't afford to leave are abandoned and attacked by muggers and murderers willing to exploit their vulnerability.
• You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: The first GM executive to hear the Americar proposal initially thought it was a joke, unable to believe that the President would seriously want the company to produce an automobile below their standard line.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: As he and Hart are taking a drive through the paved streets of Dallas, thanks to their work, Chep recognizes the dour mood of Hart, who still feels overwhelmed by the many other responsibilities he has. To cheer him up, Chep assures him that he's doing the best he can and that he can take pride in the work he's accomplished so far.
• You Lose at Zero Trust: Three out of the four potential crises are started by Hart dropping his relationship with one of America's demographics.
  • If Hart's relationship with Little America drops below 35%, the farmers will loudly complain that they've been neglected, turning the voters on the Democrats. This will start a rural revolt, where Hart will need to pass more rural-friendly policies to regain their trust or else lose the Midwest to the NPP.
  • If the Urban Wealth's anger at Hart rises above 60%, many will decry the integration of African Americans in the cities and start a white flight to "protect" their families, moving to the suburbs. As Jacobs points out, this will diminish the number of urban taxpayers and leave the marginalized to suffer in decrepit cities. In a political context, this will also cost revenue for the URI's programs, so it is imperative that this problem be plugged in.
  • If the Civil Rights Advocates' trust in Hart falls below 40%, they will be incensed by the rising trend of hate crimes against black Americans and start race riots to demand fairer treatment. In turn, white supremacists and police officers attack them, creating a chaotic environment of looting, fires, and police brutality.

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