LBJ’s Great Society

Mr. Chojnacki

US II

Johnson’s Rise to Power

• Sworn in on Air Force I after JFK’s death

• Born in the poor “Hill Country” of West Texas

• Became Majority Leader of Senate

–Hard Working, Motivated, Near obsessive about success

Leadership Style

• Rough Edged and Crude Personality

• Believed in the active use of power

• Got more Legislation passed than anyone but FDR

–Death of Kennedy helped pass “New Frontier” proposals

The Great Society

• LBJ’s own reform plan

–Helped by his skillful lobbying

• Saw himself as a “Great coalition builder”

–Wanted the support of everyone

Election of 1964

• LBJ v. Barry Goldwater

• Johnson gets 61% of the votes

–Goldwater wins only 6 states

• Landslide gives LBJ the “mandate of the people”

1960

1964

The War of Poverty

• Medicare: provides federal aid to the elderly for medical expenses (1965)

• Avoided stigma of “welfare” by making it available to all elderly

–Like Social Security

• Got modern Medicaid Program passed in 1966

Community Action

• Effort to include members of poor communities in planning programs to help

–Gave poor people jobs and experience

• Worked effectively, but some agencies became corrupt and destroyed the program

Housing and Urban Development

• Housing Act of 1961: Designed to revitalize decaying cities and schools–Open Space, Mass Transit, Housing

• LBJ created Department of Housing and Urban Development–Robert Weaver: First African

American to serve in a cabinet position

Immigration Act of 1965

• Set Quotas on Immigration

• Did away w/ National Origins System of the 1920’s

–Favored Western Europeans

• Gave all groups equal opportunity

• Led to high # of Asian Immigrants

Legacies of the Great Society

• Greatly Increased Federal Spending

–LBJ still cut taxes, led to deficit

• High cost and frequent failures led to disillusionment w/ programs

• By 1960’s, public felt govt. efforts at solving social problems would fail

Positives• Reduced Hunger and Poverty in America

• Made medical care available to more people

• Greatest reduction of poverty in American History

• 1959: 21% below poverty line

• 1969: 12% below poverty line

• Result of economic growth and Great Society