Hopes for a Great Society Lyndon Baines Johnson Hopes for a Great Society
Early Life Born and raised in Texas, 1908 Teacher Congressional staffer Member of the House of Reps Senator Senate Majority Leader Vice President By the time he took office in 1963, he had 32 years of political experience
Personality and Experiences Background of financial hardship Obsessed with his place in history- wanted to be remembered for his greatness Reputation as a man who got things done Natural Politician Favors Twisted arms Bargained Flattered Threatened Spoke directly, convincingly One of the most powerful and effective leaders in the Senate’s history
Taking Office JFK Assassinated LBJ takes oath of office on Air Force One Urged nation to move forward by building on JFK’s legacy Aimed to continue fighting discrimination, poverty, and communism Wealthy government could and should improve the lives of its citizens Finished Kennedy’s term, ran for election in 1964 Won by a landslide
War on Poverty Programs to combat poverty in the U.S. Economic Opportunity Act, 1964 Attacked public services, illiteracy, and unemployment Programs directed at young Americans in inner cities Neighborhood Youth Corps- work-study programs to help underprivileged young men and women earn high school and college degrees Job Corps- trained unemployed people age 16-21 in job skills Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA)- domestic Peace Corps Upward Bound- tutoring to high school students Work Experience Program- provided day care and support so parents of poor households could work
Great Society Civil Rights Civil Rights Act of 1964- barred discrimination Voting Rights Act of 1965- protected voters from discrimination More than 60 programs passed between 1965-1968 Health and Welfare Education War on Poverty Consumer and Environmental Protection Zeitgeist (spirit of the times) CRM demonstrated lack of equal rights and opportunities Strong economy encouraged hope in reducing poverty JFK’s ambition, optimism, and energy for a New Frontier
Great Society’s Legacy Touched nearly every aspect of American life Improved millions of lives Continued debate over success Some programs did not work that well Difficult to manage growth High expectations for life-changing effects Opposition to “big government”- intruding too much in American’s lives Cost of Vietnam took away funds to GS programs Some programs still active today Questions produced by Great Society What is the government’s role in society? Should the government help or should people help themselves? Does government interference weaken the private sector?