Great Society Topic 2 Flashcards
LBJ
strongly anticommunist, cold war president, inherits vietnam war, escalated troops by bombing campaign
Economic Opportunity Act 1964
created new federal agency office of economic opportunity planning to eradicate poverty
Job Corps
To improve skills of unemployed inner city youths. It faced difficulties as there were discipline problems but 10000 jobs for youths were created e.g IBM
The Appalachian Regional Development Act 1965
allocated to programmes to raise the living standards in the Appalachian Mountain Region
Housing urban development 1965
programs to attack housing shortages
Omnibus Housing Act 1965
Encouraged cities to construct reasonably priced housing, financed rent supplements, $8bn worth of low/moderate income housing in ghettos
Community action programs
controversial, aim was to allow the poor to take part in federal programmes and make sure black people benefitted from them
Medicare 1965
free healthcare paid by social security taxes
Medicaid
Gave financial assistance to states to help provide for residents who could not afford essential medical services
Elementary and secondary education act 1965
Gave funds to school districts based on how many low income families.
By 1968, 7million poor children had help, benefitted poorer states - Mississippi
1965 Higher education act
granted federal scholarships for undergraduate students
by 1968 grants amounted to $131million with loans of $182million
Which housing act was passed in the wake of MLK’s assassination?
1968 Fair Housing Act - prohibited discrimination in sale or rental of housing
Factors which helped LBJ achieve many of the GS reforms
Kennedy’s legacy, experience with Congress, more liberal democrats in congress after 1964
2 Measures linked to education
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Higher Education Act (HEA)
Criticisms of GS
Expensive, economic problems made in unpopular, destroyed by Vietnam War, Overly ambitious, created dependency culture, too much fed control
