Lyndon B. Johnson and theGreatSociety 28.3
Clean out the Cobwebs
The Cold War is still coldJFK was assassinated.. His VP (LBJ) is sworn as president in 1963Khrushchev is leading the USSRMajor Events:Bay of Pigs/Cuban Missile Crisis (1961-62)Berlin Wall (1961)Space RaceLimited Test Ban Treaty = sign of some relief
Part 1:LBJ’s“Great Society”
Objectives:Determine how the country transitioned from JFK to LBJIdentify the main goals of the “Great Society”, and if these goals helped to achieve a “greater society”AssessLBJ’scontribution to the Civil Rights Movement
LBJ’sBackground
Graduated Teachers College (1930)Taught in a Mexican- American schoolEntered House of Reps in 1937 as “New Dealer”- idolized and imitated FDRWas director of National Youth Admin at 26Based on his history, what issues do you think LBJ would push for as president?
LBJ’s Early Achievements‘63-’64
Tax Reduction of over $10 billion dollarsIt ended up reducing nation’s debt- HOW?Civil Rights Act of 1964Prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, and sexFederal government can enforceEconomic Opportunity Act (1964)Job training“Project Head Start”- Education program for underprivileged preschoolers (sound familiar?)Small business loans
Election of 1964
LBJ winsby a landslideGoldwater (R. opponent) believed:Gov’t should stay out of reformSocial Security should be voluntaryAtomic weapons should be used in Vietnam and CubaDemocrats also won majority in CongressWhat does this mean for the passage of laws?
The Great Society
Vision for America:End poverty and racial injusticeBy the end of his term, Congress passed 206 of LBJ’s measures to change America
“The Great Society is a place where every child can find knowledge to enrich his mind and to enlarge his talents. It is a place where leisure is a welcome chance to build and reflect, not a feared cause of boredom and restlessness. It is a place where the city of man serves not only the needs of the body and the demands of commerce but the desire for beauty and the hunger for community. It is a place where man can renew contact with nature. It is a place which honors creation for its own sake and for what it adds to the understanding of the race.”- “The Great Society”, May 22, 1964
Elements of the Great Society
EducationFederal $$ for schools = more suppliesHealthcareMedicare (hospital insurance/medical insurance for 65 and older) and Medicaid (welfare recipients)HousingDepartment of Housing and UrbanDev’tLow-rent public housing with gov’t $$
Elements of the Great Society
ImmigrationImmigration Act of 1965- ended quotas based on nationalityEnvironmentUpdated regulations on chemical pollutantsConsumer ProtectionWholesome Meat Act of 1967; Standards for automobiles; labeling consumer goods
Reforms of the Warren Court
Illegal evidence cannot be used in courtFree legal counsel to those who cannot afford itLawyer can be present during police interrogationMiranda rightsOther reforms include:Removal of prayer in schools; Arm-bands to support anti-war sentiment = free speech, etc.
What major case did Chief Justice Warren preside over?
Assessment of the Great Society
Poor population sunk from 21% (1962) to 11% (1973)Tax cut spurred economyCriticism: What does it take to support these programs???The issues in Vietnam would soon shift LBJ’s focus abroad.
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