The LBJ Brand of the Presidency

LBJ The new president, Lyndon Baines Johnson, from west Texas, supported Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. When he lost the Senate race in 1941, he learned that his liberal political beliefs would not win him the election in Texas. He entered the Senate in 1948, became the Democratic majority leader in 1954, and used the “Johnson treatment” to arm-twist as the power second to Eisenhower.

Civil Rights “No memorial oration or eulogy could more eloquently honor President Kennedy’s memory that the earliest possible passage of the Civil Rights Bill for which he fought so long.” After a lengthy conservative filibuster, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This act banned racial discrimination in most private facilities open to the public. This prompted the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to eliminate discrimination in hiring. This was a powerful component in enforcing gender equality as well.

New Dealish In 1965, Johnson issued an executive order requiring all federal contractors to take “affirmative action” against discrimination. He also pushed Kennedy’s stalled tax bill through Congress, adding proposals of his own for a billion-dollar “War on Poverty.” He voiced special concern for Appalachia, where the soft-coal industry left many sick. Lastly, he introduced his domestic program the “Great Society.” This aimed to transform America by New Dealish economic and welfare measures. Support for his anti poverty war was furthered by Michael Harrington’s, The Other America (1962), revealing that in affluent America 20% of the population---and over 40% of the black population---suffered in poverty.

Source #1 Article about Michael Harrington’s The Other America https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/50-years-later-poverty-and-the-other-america

OCPVL Origin- Michael Harrington’s The Other America fifty years after being published on Dissent Content- The book unveiled the scary truth that was poverty in America. Since the publication, people are still poor among us. Purpose- Harrington wanted to expose the harsh reality of poverty and show how it constituted a separate culture. Value- He discussed social blindness, stating it is necessary to enrich individual observation with social measurement. Limitations- This contained bias because it was through the eyes of Harrington, not Johnson himself.

Source #2 Picture of LBJ and MLK shaking hands after signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. https://www.cnn.com/2014/06/18/us/1964-civil-rights-act-fast-facts/index.html

OCPVL Origin- CNN article about the 1964 Civil Rights Act Content- Prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Purpose- Promote racial equality in America, later prompting gender equality. Value- Helped MLK’s actions and helped end discrimination. Limitations- People will ignore this and continue to discriminate.

Source #3 Political cartoon on LBJ’s War on Poverty proposal

OCPVL Origin- Political cartoon artist, Dave Granlund Content- LBJ’s War on Poverty Purpose- shedding light on impoverished Appalachia and preventing poverty through legislation like the Food Stamp Act and the Social Security Amendments Value- Its initiatives reduced poverty Limitations- Does not go into detail on the views surrounding the War on Poverty, contrasting Republican and Democratic perspectives of the matter

Questions How did Johnson embody Kennedy’s New Dealish opportunity for America? How did the War on Poverty and The Other America lead to a reduction in American poverty?