1. LBJ & The Great Society

2. Lyndon Baines Johnson 36th President of US. Democrat
th generation Texan, teaching degree, taught HS public speaking and debate in Houston.
Entered politics in 1937 in House of Representatives, eventually winning a Senate seat and Senate majority leader in 1955.
Idolized FDR, saw himself as spokesperson for small ranchers and struggling farmers.
He was a political master, great at behind-the-scenes maneuvering. “LBJ treatment”
JFK picked him as VP, which helped him in states in the South, especially Texas, which was a hard win for Democrats.

3. JFK to LBJ
After JFK’s assassination, LBJ used his memory to get JFK’s programs passed:
Feb tax reduction over $10 billion. Spurred economic growth and reduced budget deficit from $6 billion in 1964 to $4 billion in
July Civil Rights Act
War on Poverty– 1964 Economic Opportunity Act (EOA)
$1 billion for youth programs, antipoverty measures, small-business loans, and job training.
Project Head Start, educational program for underprivileged preschoolers
Community Action Program, encouraged poor people to participate in public works programs
johnson/videos

4. 1964 Election LBJ (Democrat) vs. Barry Goldwater (Republican)
Goldwater believed the government had no business trying to right social and economic wrongs like poverty, discrimination, and lack of opportunity.
Most people at the time believed the opposite and thought the government should help to solve these problems.
Goldwater scared people by suggesting the he might use nuclear weapons on Cuba and North Vietnam.
LBJ commercial:
LBJ won by a landslide. 61% of popular vote and 486 electoral votes. Democrats also increased their majority in Congress. They didn’t need the Southern Dems (racists) in order to pass laws.

5. Building The Great Society
May 1964 in a speech at U of M he summed up his vision for America: The Great Society.
Johnson envisioned a legislative program that would create a higher standard of living, equal opportunity, and promote a richer quality of life for all.
Like FDR, LBJ wanted to change America. By the time he left office in 1969 Congress passed 206 of his measures.
Education
“the key which can unlock the door to the Great Society”
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of $1 billion to help schools.
First major federal aid package for education in the nation’s history.

6. Building The Great Society
Healthcare
Changed Social Security by establishing:
Medicare: provides hospital insurance and low-cost medical insurance for people 65 and older
Medicaid: extended health insurance to welfare recipients
Housing
Shifted the nation’s political power from rural to urban areas.
Building 240,000 units of low-rent public housing and help low and middle income families pay for better private housing
Established Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Immigration
Immigration Act of 1965: opened the door for non-European immigrants to settle in US who once were not allowed because of quotas.

7. Building The Great Society
The Environment
Water Quality Act of 1965: required states to clean up rivers
Johnson ordered the government to search out the worst chemical polluters—all of this helped to trigger the environmental movement in the US.
Consumer Protection
Congress passed major safety laws:
Truth in packaging law that set standards for labeling consumer goods
Ralph Nader, criticized the auto industry for ignoring safety concerns—helped to establish safety standards for cars and tires.
Wholesome Meat Act of 1967
“Americans can feel a little safer in their homes, on the road, at the supermarket, and in the department store.” -LBJ

8. Warren Court
Liberal reform swept through the Supreme Court in the 1960s, under Chief Justice Earl Warren. He took an activist stance on the leading issues of the day.
Banned prayer in public schools and declared state-required loyalty oaths unconstitutional.
Limited the power of communities to censor books and films and said that free speech included antiwar protests in schools.
Rights of the Accused
Many decisions greatly expanded the rights of people accused of crimes
Mapp v. Ohio: evidence seized illegally couldn’t be used in court
Gideon v. Wainwright: provide legal counsel for those that couldn’t afford it
Escobedo v. Illinois: right to a lawyer during police questioning
Miranda v. Arizona: all suspects must be read their rights before questioning.

9. Impact of Great Society
No president in post-WWII extended power and reach of federal government more than LBJ
War of Poverty did help: poor fell from 21% of population in to 11% in 1973.
But many programs were quickly made and hard to accomplish
The tax cut did spur the economy, but The Great Society was expensive and contributed to a growing budget deficit—a problem for years.
A conservative backlash began to take shape as new Republican leaders began to grow in power-Ronald Reagan
The increase in Communist forces in Vietnam began to overshadow the goals of the Great Society.