Promises Kept: John F. Kennedy's New Frontier

John F. Kennedy was ``a very successful president,'' in Bernstein's estimate. But this detailed chronicle of Kennedy's administration, intended as a rebuttal of critics who view JFK as a cautious, mediocre elitist, is not likely to settle any arguements. Professor emeritus of political science at UCLA, Bernstein deems JFK's early civil rights policy of ``executive action now, legislation later'' to be ``morally questionable'' but ``politically unassailable,'' given the uphill battle he waged against a Congress determined to preserve the status quo. The author credits JFK for major initiatives on civil rights, federal aid for education, Medicare, tax reduction, manpower training and minimum wage, even though many of these policies were not implemented, which Bernstein blames on the fact that Kennedy's presidency was cut short. Photos. (Jan.)