63-72 Johnsons Great Society Flashcards
How did LBJ contrast JFK
-Kennedy came from an affluent background whereas Johnson came from a humble working class background, meaning Johnson should be more empathetic for those experiencing poverty
-Kennedy from Boston, North and rich. Johnson from Texas, poor.
before politics LBJ was a teacher where he taught Mexican students in appalling conditions, he helped them by buying them tooth paste etc.
LBJ as president most known for
-the Johnson treatment/ being able to persaude congress to do what he wants
-signed in more than 1 thousand pieces of legislation, like Medicare, medicaid, Voting rights act.
the first presdient to be sworn in by a woman
Context for LBJ becoming President
-Kennedys death
-Domestic context in America
-Foriegn Policy context
context for LBJ being president: kennedys death
-difficult to place trust in a presdient who wasnt elected
-had to live out Kennedys legacy
-49% of Americans voted for Kennedy, by 1964 65% claimed they had voted for him (popular)
Context for LBJ being president: Domestic context in America
Civil Rights Movement, controversial
and LBJ was from Texas so people wer eunsure how much he cared about civil rights.
context for LBJ being President: foreign policy context
-Vietnam War- in 1961 kennedy had sent over 600 millitary advisors, and by 1963 there were 16,000
in 1965 LBJ commits ground troops to Vietnam
What was Johnsons Great Soicety
In May 1964 LBJ intorduced his dream of the “great soicety” which would mean the end of poverty, racial equality, education reform and modern housing.
personal as he grew up in poverty
Although he is more commonly associated with the Vietnam Was LBJs passion was the Great Society.
Areas of the great society
-Jobs
-Education
-Housing
-Healthcare
Great society success with jobs
-by 1965 44 states had antipoverty programmes
-53 job corp centres recieving thousands of applications daily.
-families on welfare were receiving job training
-35c rise in minimum wage
-expanded the man power and training act which provided job training for the poor.
Great society failure with jobs
often times people would be stuck in/with training with no job
Great society unemployment and minimum wage
-miniumum wage was raised by 35c
-americans in poverty fell from 17% in 1965 to 11% by 1972
context for education
when Johnson became president 54 million Americans had never finished high school
schools were overcrowded, run down and lacked good teachers (that hasnt been sorted)
As well 100,000 high school graduates could not afford to go to college
great society success with education
-Johnson managed to double federal expinditure on education to $8 billion by arguing that America spent “seven times as much on youth who had gone bad”
-Higher Education Act (1965) benefited 11 million poorer students as the programmes had $650 million
-By 1970 25% of students recieved finacial aid
-HEA increased the oppurtunities for black and low income students, it also helped poorly funded black colleges
-In 1950 15% of of 18-22 year old were in education, by 1970 this was 34%
Great society and Headstart;
(education)
designed to help poor pre schoolers cath up before they started school, nearly 1 million were enrolled.
the prgramme was greatly praised
Great society education failures
Congress felt that education should be under local control, and therefore it was difficult to obtain funds for it
how many students benifited from the Higher Education Act 1965
11 million
By 1970 how many college studens recieved finacial aid
25%
the differnece of people in education between 1950 and 1970
in regards to 18-22 yo
1950- 15%
1970- 34%
Great society Housing success
-1965 the department of Housing and Urban Devolpment (HUD) was established to combat housing shortages
-In 1966 Congress passed the Demonstration Cities Act which was designed to work on the lack of cheap housing and good transport
- Omnibus Housing Act (1965) attempted to improve ghetto housing
-Fair housing Act 1968 aimed to end discirimination in housing, and crucially cost the tax payers nothing
Great Society Housing Failures
-Although Johnson supported intergrated housing he faced opposition from many whites and recieved his worse ever hatemail due to this
-The Demonstration cities act was underfunded with only 1.2 billion dollars. Johnson had estimated $2.4 billion byt the NYT said NY alone would need $6 billion
-Omnibus Housing act did little to really improve ghettos and white tax payers were unwilling to help
Housing and Urban Delvelopment
1965
established to combat housing shortages and decay in urban areas, as inner cities were often characterised by poverty
Demonstration Cities Act
1966
Designed to work on the cheap housing and good transport
in reality it was underfunded, provided only $1.2 billion when LBJ had estimated a need for $2.4billion. some estimated NY alone would need $6 billion
Omnibus Housing Act
1965
an attempt to improve ghetto housing. financed rent supplements and $8 billion worth ot of low and moderate income housing
however did little to really improve ghettos and white tax payers were unwilling to help
Fair Housing Act
1968
aimed to end discrimination, crucially costing tax payers nothing
not popular with the public or congress.
in the end it was only really passed as a response to MLKs assination
Great Society healthcare success.
-Medicare
-Medicaid
In 1965 LBJ had democratic majorties in both houses and used his legendary powers of persuasion to get congress to establish medicare and medicaid
-boasted of a “healthcare” revolution, on wich no president could oppose without risk of alienating votes
Great Society healthcare failures
-medicare/aid were federally financed but this was opposed by conservatives
-gaps in coverage of Medicare like eyeglasses
-medicare/aid had proved more expensive thn johnson had anticipated. With Medicare costing $3.5 billion in 1966 to $144 billion in 1993
-There was no real solution toreasonable priced healthcare for all
Medicare
1965, federally funded health insurance for over 65s and those with disabilities. By 1966 19 million had enrolled.
-eldelry constitued a large proportion of the American poor and this was largely due to the price of healthcare
-alongside medicaid it benfitted 1/5 of the population by 1976
-healthcare revolution, which no president could oppose medicare without risking losing the important grey vote
-had gaps in coverage like eyeglasses
Medicaid
1965, gave finacial assitance to states to help provide medical assistance to residents who could not afford essential medical services
alongisde medicare it benefitted 1/5 of the population by 1976
timeline of legislation LBJ passed
In 1964 and 65 he passed many, like anti poverty programmes etc. but had a fall of in 67 and 68
this was due to congress midterms, where congress became republican and made it difficult for democrats and LBJ to pass laws.
this shows the Americans didnt like how their tax money was being spent, and shows the vietnam was affacting johnosns popularity
