Chapter 15 Section 3: The Great Society
1)Johnson Takes the Reins
a)Post JFK US
i)Although the United States had been flourishing during Kennedy’s term, the average American was living in poor areas where they were ill-fed and ill-educated.
(1)In the 1962 book The Other America, writer Michael Harrington examined the nation’s impoverished areas and stated that the US had 50 million in the US below poverty.
(2)This book moved both JFK and Johnson towards a major policy goal of eliminating poverty through a new antipoverty program.
ii)Johnson, after JFK was assassinated, decided to continue this policy and wanted to keep the nation together.
(1)Days after the assassination, Johnson went before congress and urged them to continue the policy with the words “JFK’s death commands what his life conveyed-that America must move forward”.
b)Johnson’s Leadership Style
i)Johnson was a Texas man and was different than how JFK was perceived.
(1)Johnson was tall, spoke directly, persuasive and personable rather than elegant.
(a)Many Easterners did not accept his leadership because of this.
(2)At the age of 55, he had served 26 years of service.
(a)Congressional staffer, US house of Rep, US Senator, Senate majority leader, and Vice President.
(b)Known for getting things done, twisting arms, bargained, flattered, and threatened
(i)This was referred to as the “Johnson Treatment”
(ii)He always tried to have a general agreement and was able to build coalitions making him an effective leader.
c)A War on Poverty
i)By 1964, Johnson passed several of JKF’s initiatives including tax cuts, civil rights bills, and the anti-poverty program.
(1)Johnson used his poverty past when growing up and what he saw as a teacher in a low-income area since he understood suffering and believed in action.
(a)Johnson felt the government should improve the lives of its citizens.
ii)Using the link to JFK, Johnson declared to congress that his administration was declaring an “unconditional war on poverty in America.”
(1)The Economic Opportunity Act established a wide range of programs aimed at creating jobs and fighting poverty.
(a)Created the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) –coordinated these programs
(i)Neighborhood Youth Corps – provided work-study programs to help underprivileged earn high school or college degrees.
(ii)Jobs Corps – helped unemployed people find jobs
(iii)Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) – placed young people with skills and ideals to work in poor neighborhoods and rural areas to help people overcome poverty.
d)The Election of 1964
i)Democratic President Johnson ran against Republican Barry Goldwater of Arizona in 1964.
(1)Goldwater was a outspoken senator of conservatism.
(2)Many believed he was too aggressive especially during an nuclear period.
ii)Johnson won in a landslide winning all but 5 southern states and Arizona.
2)The Great Society
a)The Program
i)After being elected, Johnson worked with Congress on the “great society” promising the goals of the election.
(1)Civil Rights Act of 1964 – barred discrimination of many kinds
(2)Voting rights of 1965 – ensured African Americans’ right to vote.
ii)Great Society was Johnson’s vision of the more perfect and equitable society much like FDR’s new deal, Johnson wanted to rebuild America.
iii)Johnson’s goals were consistent with the times:
(1)Civil Rights movement bought African Americans grievances to the forefront reminds Americans of the inequality of the US.
(2)Economics were strong so there was no doubt that poverty could be not reduced.
iv)Johnson’s Great Society Program passed more than 60 programs between 1965 and 1968.
(1)Medicare and Medicaid were the most significant.
(a)Health care reform has strong support especially Medicare since it was directed at the entire elderly population (1/2 of the pop. Over 65 had no health insurance)
(b)Medicare was a health insurance program funded through social security
(c)Medicaid, financed health care for welfare recipients, those below the poverty level.
(i)Both programs were called “entitlements” in which entitled certain categories of Americans to benefits.
- 2010s, these programs are a permanent part of the US budget.
(2)Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 granted millions of dollars to public and private schools for material and special education programs.
(a)Project Head Start was directed at children from disadvantaged circumstances
(b)Upward Bound, provide college preparation for lower-income teenager.
(c)California Master plan passed laws to improve high education facilities in 1960
(i)Established a network of public higher education facilities and helped ensure Cali residents who graduate in the top percentages of their high school wre able to attend a Cali university.
(3)New Cabinet agency in 1965, The Department of Housing and Urban Development, which would address the poor schools, slum housing, poverty, and pollution.
(a)Under Robert Weaver, new program called “Model Cities”, authorized federal subsidies to cities supported transportation, health care, housing, and policing.
(i)$8 billion to build houses for people with low and middle incomes.
(b)Immigration Reform Act of 1965 maintained a strict limit on the number of immigrants
(i)170k from Eastern Hemisphere
(ii)120k from Western Hemisphere
(iii)Eliminated the national origins system in the 1920s which gave away preference to north European immigrants.
b)The Legacy of the Great Society
i)The impact of the Great Society program was limited.
(1)Johnson, rushing to get it done, never calculated how his programs might work which meant when they grew they were unmanageable and difficult to evaluate.
(a)Cities, states, and groups expected immediate benefits and when waiting, this made many frustrated with the government.
(b)Others saw this as a massive growth of federal programs and criticized it for intruding too much on daily lives.
(2)Lack of funds also hurt the Great Society programs.
(a)When funding these programs, he had to pay for these domestic agenda and pay for the war in Vietnam.
(i)The Vietnam conflict usually got the funds while the Great Society suffered.
(b)Some programs still exist today which shows the success:
(i)Medicare, Medicaid, Department of Transportation, Department of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Project Head Start.
ii)The important legacy was the questions that is produced about government and American society.
(1)How can the federal government help its citizens who are economically disadvantaged?
(2)How much government help can a society have without weakening the private sector?
(3)How much help can its people receive without losing motivation to fight against hardships on their own?