Reading #1: LBJ & The Great Society

Objectives…•Summarize the goals of the Great Society.•Identify the reforms of the Warren Court.•Evaluate the impact of the Great Society programs.

LBJ’s path to power…• 1908: Born a rural Texan• 1937: 6 term New Deal Congressman• 1948: Texas Senator • 1955: Senate Majority Leader

• 1960 JFK’s VP …“President by accident” • 1964 elected President

FDR meets a young LBJ

Five days after the assassination, LBJ tells Congress…“…let us highly resolve that John Fitzgerald Kennedy did not live…. or…die in vain” - LBJ

LBJ taking the oath of office on Nov. 22, 1963

Civil Rights Act of 1964• JFK introduced the CR bill following Birmingham

Spring (1963) & it stalled in Congress.• JFK is assassinated in Nov, 1963• LBJ persuades Senators to pass the CR bill

The 1964 Civil Rights Act: Makes segregation in public places is illegal & bans discrimination in

employment, unions & in gov. programs.

LBJ signing the 1964 Civil Rights Act July, 1964

The CR movement creates an awareness of…

• Poverty• Unemployment• Low wages• A lack of voter rights• Discrimination

The Other America (1962) by M. Harrington

• Claims 20% of America is…– Inadequately housed– Malnourished– No or poor medical care– Below poverty level

“What good was winning the right to sit at the lunch counter if one could not afford to buy a hamburger” …

Out of Many

The Great Society• The most far reaching social reform since the

New Deal

Goals…• End poverty• Protect minorities • Provide jobs• Protect consumers• Improve children’s health• Improve medical care

The 1964

Election

Johnson v. Goldwater

The Democrats portrayed LBJ as a man of peace & Goldwater as a militaristic kook.

Goldwater's slogan, "In Your Heart You Know He's Right," was changed to "In Your Heart You

Know He Might."

Johnson’s 1964 Campaign AdPeace, Little Girl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf-MEdAPhYA

The Election of 1964 Republican - Barry Goldwater

• Conservative…- Attacks Social Security & TVA- Suggests nuclear weapons in Vietnam

& Cuba

The Election of 1964 LBJ Goldwater

Electoral: 486 52Pop. vote %: 61% 31.4%

– Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress– A mandate for change

AKA“Landslide Lyndon”

The War on PovertyThe 1964 State of the Union address…

“This administration today, here and now declares unconditional war on poverty” – LBJ

LBJ State of the Union War on Povertyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfT03Ihtlds

Job Corps• Provides disadvantaged youth with jobs and

training to succeed in the workforce.

Job Corps – Engine Repair Class

VISTAVolunteers In Service to America

•Opportunities for education, training, work, and live decently.•A domestic version of the Peace Corps.

Community Action Programs (CAP)

Legal Services Program - Provides legal help for poor people

Community Health Centers - Basic medical services for

people who are too poor to see a doctor

Upward Bound - Established to give children who areunlikely to attend college (poverty, living rurally) themoney, skills and tools they need to succeed in college.

Head Start - Prepared disadvantaged preschool

children for elementary school.

Medicare / Medicaid

• Medicare -Health insurance coverage to people aged 65

• Medicaid – Health insurance for the poor

LBJ & Housing….•Created Dept. of HUD•Appoints 1st AA Cabinet member to HU)•250K units of public housing•$ to low & moderate income families to buy homes

Civil Rights Act of 1968 Prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental &

financing of housing.

Mixed results for the Great Societies War on Poverty…

• 1959: 26% at poverty level• 1969: 12% at poverty level• 1970 report: “barely scratched the surface”• 75% of $ spent above poverty level• Welfare $: 1960: 7%

1974: 16%

Why did conservatives criticize the Great Society?

Consumer Protection…• Unsafe at Any Speed

by Ralph Nader – Federal safety

standards for automobiles & tires

– State highway safety laws

Environmental Concerns…

• Water Quality Act (1965)- Drinking water standards• Air Quality Act (1967)- Air quality standards

Silent Spring (1962)- by Rachel Carson

Exposes the effects of pesticides

Immigration Act of 1965

• Reversed 1920s immigration laws

• Ended nationality quotas

• Allowed non-European immigrants into U.S.

Rights of the Accused…

• Mapp v. Ohio – Illegally seized evidence could not be used in court

• Gideon v. Wainwright – Free legal counsel

• Escobedo v. Illinois – Accused has a right to a lawyer while questioned

• Miranda v. Arizona – Accused must be read their rights

What were the differing reactions to the Warren Court?

• Divided the public…– Liberals:

• Limited power of police

• Protected rights of accused

– Conservatives:

• Limited police investigation

• Benefited suspects

• “soft on crime”

What compromised LBJ’s ability to fight poverty?

LBJ’s Scar

Based on the cartoon... What compromised LBJ’s ability to fight poverty?