10th American History

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10th American History

• Unit V- A Nation Facing Challenges
• Chapter 17 Section 3
• The Great Society

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The Great Society
The Main Idea President Johnson used his politi
cal skills to push Kennedys proposals through
Congress and expanded them with his own vision of
the Great Society. Reading Focus Why was Lyndo
n Johnsons background good preparation for
becoming president? Why was Johnson more success
ful than Kennedy in getting Congress to enact
Kennedys agenda? In what ways did Johnsons Grea
t Society change the nation? What foreign-policy
issues were important in Johnsons presidency?
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Lyndon Johnson

• Personality
• Large and intense with none of Kennedys good
  looks, polish, or charm
  
• Hardworking and ambitious
• Genuine desire to help others
• Greater concern for the poor and underprivileged
  than Kennedy
  
• Believed in an expanded role for government in
  making Americans lives better
  

• Political Experience
• School teacher in Texas
• Served as Texas Congressman
• Served as U.S. Senator
• Served as majority leader in the Senate after one
  term as senator
  
• By 1960, Johnson had more influence in
  Washington, D.C., than any other Democrat.

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Reputation

• Bull Dog
• A Machiavelli in a Stetson.
• In the shadow of JFK
• Political assets
• Tender ego
• Why dont people like me.

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The Beginning of Johnsons Presidency
Johnsons mastery of the political process, along
with his years of experience in Washington,
allowed Johnson to make a smooth transition to
the presidency. He vowed to continue to carry o
n the New Frontier.
Johnson called on members of Congress to pass
Kennedys programs so that Kennedy did not die
in vain.
Johnson wanted to go beyond the Kennedy
administrations plans he sponsored anti-poverty
programs, tax-cut bills, and civil rights
legislation.
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Johnson Becomes President

• Why was Lyndon Johnsons background good
  preparation for becoming president?
  
• Explain Why was Lyndon Johnson unhappy as
  vice-president?
  
• Make Generalizations In addition to his
  political skills, what other strengths did
  Johnson bring to the presidency?
  
• Predict How might President Kennedys legacy
  have been different if Johnson had remained
  Senate Majority leader instead of becoming
  Vice-President?

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Enacting Kennedys Agenda

• War on Poverty
• Kennedy was influenced by Michael Harringtons
  The Other America, a study of poverty that
  shattered the popular belief that all Americans
  had prospered from postwar prosperity.
• Johnson launched the War on Poverty when he asked
  Congress to pass the Economic Opportunity Act in
  1964.

• Economic Opportunity Act
• Funded several new anti-poverty programs
• The Job Corps offered work-training programs for
  unemployed youth.
  
• VISTA was a domestic version of the Peace Corps.
• Other programs provided education for adults,
  work for unemployed parents, and help to fight
  rural poverty and assist migrants.

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Maryland Job Core Trainees Arrive for Training
(0100)
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What was the War on Poverty?

• The War on Poverty (1964-1968)
• a campaign of legislation and social services
  aimed at reducing or eliminating poverty in the
  United States of America. The term was first
  introduced by Lyndon B. Johnson during his State
  of the Union address on Jan. 8, 1964. The
  legislation was designed in response to the
  poverty affecting over 35 million Americans as of
  1964. The poverty line was on a sharp decline and
  not a rise nor fluctuation at the time Johnson
  was campaigning.
• "This administration today, here and now,
  declares unconditional war on poverty in
  America." - Lyndon B. Johnson
  
• Forty programs that were intended to eliminate
  poverty by improving living conditions and
  enabling people to lift themselves out of the
  cycle of poverty.

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Enacting Kennedys ProgramsOther Initiatives
Passed

• Johnson pushed for the passage of Kennedys
  tax-cut bill.
  
• Congress demanded that the president promise to
  hold government spending to 100 billion.
  
• Johnson used the press to help him convince
  Congress to pass the Tax Reduction Act in 1964.
  
• The nations economy grew by more than 10 percent
  and unemployment declined.
  
• Johnson pushed for the passage of Kennedys civil
  rights bill.
  
• After a year of debate, Congress passed the
  landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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Enacting Kennedys Agenda

• Why was Johnson more successful than Kennedy in
  getting Congress to enact Kennedys agenda?
  
• Recall What two things made it easy for Johnson
  to assume the presidency?
  
• Draw Conclusions Why do you think that
  President Johnson retained President Kennedys
  cabinet members?
  
• Recall What were the effects of the Tax
  Reduction Act?
  
• Contrast What was the difference between VISTA
  and the Peace Corps?
  

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President Lyndon B. Johnson

• 36th President- 1963-1969 - Democrat
• Who was LBJ?
• Election of 1964
• Republicans- Barry Goldwater
• Democrats- LBJ
• Issues-
• Foreign Affairs - Vietnam
• Civil Rights
• War on Poverty
• Nuclear Test Ban
• Welfare
• Programs to meet new problems
• Outcome - LBJ won largest majority in history.
  43 million votes to 27 million and 486 electoral
  votes to 52.
  

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The Great Society
In 1964 Johnson told the nation that he had his
own plans for the United States. He called the
domestic programs of his administration the Great
Society.
In order to launch Johnsons Great Society, he
needed to win the 1964 election.
Chose Hubert Humphrey as his running mate
Republicans selected Barry Goldwater as their
nominee.
Barry Goldwaters views were very different from
Johnsons. He suggested using nuclear weapons to
end Vietnam. Attacked the Great Society with clai
ms that people were only equal in the eyes of God
and that government programs to help people were
similar to communism
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The Johnson Landslide (0505)
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LBJs Great Society

• Great Society- abundance and liberty for all
  end to poverty and racial injustice every child
  can find knowledge renew contact with nature a
  challenge constantly renewed
• War on Poverty forty programs that were intended
  to eliminate poverty by improving living
  conditions and enabling people to lift themselves
  out of the cycle of poverty.
• Education sixty separate bills that provided for
  new and better-equipped classrooms, minority
  scholarships, and low-interest student loans.
  
• Medicare Medicaid guaranteed health care to
  every American over sixty-five.
  
• The Environment introduced measures to reclaim
  our heritage of clean air and water.
  
• National Endowment for the Arts and the
  Humanities created with the philosophy that
  artists, performers, and writers were a priceless
  part of our heritage and deserve support.
• Job Corps provided enabling skills for young men
  and women.
  
• Head Start program for four- and five-year-old
  children from disadvantaged families that gave
  them a chance to start school on an even basis
  with other youngsters.
• Although the Great Society program made
  significant contributions to the protection of
  civil rights and the expansion of social
  programs, critics increasingly complained that
  the antipoverty programs were ineffective and
  wasteful.
• The Great Society was never fully funded because
  of the Vietnam War, which drained available
  resources.

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The Great Society (0422)
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Creating the Great Society

• Elementary and Secondary Education Act - first
  large scale program of government aid to public
  schools
  
• The Higher Education Act - created the first
  federal scholarships for needy college students
  
• Head Start education program for preschool
  children of low-income parents
  
• Omnibus Housing Act created Department of
  Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
  
• Medicaid program that provides free health care
  for poor people
  
• Medicare health care program for people over
  age 65
  
• The Great Society emphasized the environment
  laws were passed to improve water and air
  quality.
  
• Lady Bird Johnson worked to preserve the outdoors
  and natural beauty of the United States.
  
• Pushed for the Highway Beautification Act (came
  to be called Lady Birds bill)

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Medicare Bill Signed Truman is Witness of
Historic Event (0101)
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Policies

• July 1965 - Medicare bill
• citizens over 65 received low-cost hospital
  insurance.
  
• Financed by an increase in the social security
  tax.
  
• Medical insurance and out-of -hospital expenses-
  govt would pay 1/2
  
• Medcaid- from taxes.
• Provided federal funds to the states that wanted
  to set up their own plans to help needy people
  under age 65..
  

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Decline of the Great Society
Between 1965 and 1966, Congress passed 181 of the
200 major bills that President Johnson requested.
Some members of Congress were concerned about the
rapid pace of reform.
The midterm elections of 1966 allowed the
Republicans to gain seats in both houses of
Congresswhich slowed down Johnsons legislative
program.
The new Congress did enact some Great Society
programs Public Broadcasting Act (1967) Corpor
ation for Public Broadcasting, Public
Broadcasting System (PBS), and National Public
Radio (NPR). The Truth-in-Lending Act (1967) A 1
968 law to establish the nations wild and scenic
rivers program
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LBJ Faces Crises (0337)
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The Great Society

• In what ways did Johnsons Great Society change
  the nation?
  
• Recall How did President Johnson describe
  himself?
  
• Analyze What do you think Goldwater meant when
  he said that government programs to help people
  were similar to communism?
  
• Explain What was the Elementary and Secondary
  School Act?
  

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The Great Society

• Recall How was Congress able to slow down
  Johnsons legislative program?
  
• Evaluate Do you think that PBS and NPR serve as
  important alternatives to commercial television
  in todays society? Explain.

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LBJs Vietnam

• Vietnam
• Undeclared War
• Domino Theory
• Tonkin Gulf Incident and Resolution
• Escalation Bombing
• Credibility Gap
• Peace Movement
• Tet Offensive
• My Lai Massacre

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Johnsons Foreign Policy
By the end of 1966, some 385,000 U.S. combat
troops were in Vietnam, and the government was
spending 2.5 billion a month on the war.
We cannot have guns and butter.
Vietnam
Policy dictating that revolutions in Latin
America were more than local concerns if
communism was involved. The U.S. would
intervene. Johnson sent troops to end a revolt in
the Dominican Republic in 1965.
Johnson Doctrine
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Johnsons Foreign Policy
Continued Kennedys effort to improve relations
with Soviet Union Signed treaty to protect each c
ountrys diplomats from harassment by authorities
in the other country United States and Soviet Uni
on (along with 58 other nations) signed agreement
to ban weapons in outer space.
Relations with Soviet Union
In January 1968 North Korea captured a U.S. Navy
spy shipthe Pueblooff the coast of Communist
North Korea. The United States claimed it was in
international waters and called up troops.
The North Koreans released the crew, but kept the
ship.
Pueblo Incident
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Johnsons Foreign Policy

• What foreign issues were important in Johnsons
  presidency?
  
• Recall Which war occupied the Johnson
  administration?
  
• Describe What were the focal points of
  President Johnsons foreign policy?