Kennedy and Johnson

John F. Kennedy• Facts

– Closest election of the century

– Kennedy was the youngest President ever elected

– Kennedy brought youth and life to the White House

– Administration called “Camelot”

• “New Frontier”– Kennedy’s proposal to

improve the economy, aid the poor and advance the space program

– Put limits on business price increases and sought a large tax cut

– Got Minimum Wage increased

– Fostered Urban Renewal program

– Outlawed the Poll Tax

• Established The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)– Alan Shepard first

American in space– John Glenn first

American to orbit the Earth

– Neil Armstrong, 1st man on the moon.

• Contributions of Kennedy– Green Berets– Peace Corps

• Aid developing nations• Sent teachers, heath care

workers and technicians around the world

Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ)• Becoming President• Became

President In 1963 when JFK was killed (Warren Commission / Report)– Won a landslide victory

in 1964

• “The Great Society”– Term coined by LBJ to

describe his goals– Focused on poverty and

civil rights– Taxes

• LBJ passed a tax cut• Created a deficit because

less money was now coming in

• Tax cut fostered prosperity, so more tax money was collected

• Deficit shrank

• Poverty– Declared “Unconditional

War” on poverty– Passed Economic

Opportunity Act (1964) to fix causes of poverty• Illiteracy• Unemployment• Inadequate Public Services

• Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) created to help the poor

• Johnson increased the money for education

• The Elderly– MEDICARE provided

hospitals and low-cost insurance for those who need it (over the age of 65)

– MEDICAID gave aid to Americans of any age who was too poor to provide for their own private health care

• Immigration– Immigration act of 1965

passed

• Ended the immigration quotas set in the 1920s

• Criminal Procedure– Miranda Rule made

police inform suspects of their rights when arrested

– Evidence seized illegally cannot be submitted as evidence (1961)

– Gideon v. Wainwright Those who could not afford an attorney were provided free counsel (1963)

– Suspects had to be given access to an attorney during questioning (1964)