1. The Great Society
Chapter 28 Section 3

2. Johnson Takes the Reins
Lyndon B. Johnson b/c president after Kennedy’s assassination
Hard for him to gain public acceptance after JFK’s death
More rough around the edges than JFK
Remained dedicated to continuing w/ plan
He had a reputation for getting things done

3. The Great Society 1964 – Johnson elected for his own presidential term
B/g to create the “Great Society” he had promised during his campaign
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Barred discrimination of many kinds
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Ensured African Americans’ right to vote

4. War on Poverty
Johnson’s administration declared an “unconditional war on poverty in America.”
1964 – Economic Opportunity Act
Goal –create jobs and fight poverty
Created a new govt. agency  the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO)
To coordinate new programs
Mostly focused on young Americans living in the inner city

5. Great Society Goals Civil rights and equality for all Healthcare
Medicare – health care for the elderly population
Medicaid – health care for welfare recipients (for those who live b/l the poverty line)

6. Goals (2) Education Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
Granted millions of dollars to public and private schools (textbooks, library materials and special education programs)
Head Start
For preschoolers
Directed at disadvantaged children who had never been exposed to books, crayons, etc.

7. Goals (3) Department of Housing and Urban Development 1965
Robert Weaver – secretary of the dept.
1st African American to serve in a cabinet position
To improve the conditions of inner cities
Transportation
Housing

8. Legacy of the Great Society
Many debate over whether or not the “Great Society” was a success
In his rush to get as much done as possible Johnson did not calculate exactly how his programs might work
Some of them did not work as well as he had hoped
Some programs grew so quickly they were unmanageable
Lack of funds hurt the effectiveness of the programs