LIBERAL vs. CONSERVATIVE PRESIDENTS FDR and LBJ vs. Ronald Reagan

LIBERAL: government helps people in need “Big Government”: With the New Deal, FDR introduced the idea that more government programs will help the economy. PROBLEM: During the Great Depression, 25% of all Americans were unemployed. SOLUTION: FDR created programs like the PWA (Public Works Admin.) to create public works building projects. People got jobs building public works.

LIBERAL: government helps people in need Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ): became President when John F. Kennedy was assassinated LBJ created the “Great Society” plan for creating more government programs to solve problems for the poor “Great Society”= LBJ’s version of the New Deal

LIBERAL: government helps people in need Programs in LBJ’s “Great Society”: -Civil Rights Act (1964): no racial discrimination in hiring, education, or public places -Voting Rights Act (1965): no racial discrimination in the voting process -Medicare: health care for retired (older) Americans -Medicaid: health care for low-income families -Head Start: free preschool for low-income families -VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America): volunteers to help inner-city communities

LIBERAL: government helps people in need Programs in LBJ’s “Great Society” (continued): -Model Cities Act: government funding for fixing run-down city neighborhoods -Immigration reform: removed limits on immigration to US -Public Broadcasting System (PBS): government-funded educational TV programming -National Endowment for the Humanities: government funding for artists and art galleries -90 laws total!!!

CONSERVATIVE: the people should help themselves Ronald Reagan: believed gov’t had gotten too big and costly “Reagan Revolution”: promised to decrease the size and power of the federal government (no more “Big Gov’t”) Recession: unemployment was a major problem in 1980. Reagan unveiled a new plan to fix this problem.

CONSERVATIVE: the people should help themselves “Supply-side Economics”: 1) Federal gov’t will cut taxes for businesses. 2) Businesses will use the extra money to hire more workers (middle & working class). 3) Middle and working class now have jobs. 4) Middle and working class can buy more (appliances, cars, homes, etc.). This helps businesses sell more. Then they hire more workers, and the cycle continues.

CONSERVATIVE: the people should help themselves “De-Regulation”: cutting the number of government rules and regulations that businesses had to follow. PROBLEM: Gov’t regulations said all cars must have safety features (seatbelts, airbags, child locks, etc.). Cost more to make a car! SOLUTION: Reagan allowed car companies to make cars without airbags. Car companies save money and lower prices for cars. More people buy carsthe economy is better!

CONSERVATIVE SOLUTION GOV’T $$$ RICH (business) MIDDLE CLASS WORKING CLASS JOBS (“trickle-down” effect)

LIBERAL SOLUTION GOV’T $$$ RICH (business) MIDDLE CLASS WORKING CLASS JOBS & $$$