Johnson Great Society

Question 1

1964 election

Answer 1

won over 60% of vote
large mandate

Question 2

background

Answer 2

grew up poor, was. a teacher, taught 28 mexican-american pupils, persuaded Congress that African Americans deserved the vote

Question 3

personality

Answer 3

dominant, stand-off-ish, known to stand nose to nose with people

Question 4

spending on great society v vietnam

Answer 4

1965-73 $15.5bil great society
$120bil Vietnam

Question 5

Economic Opportunity Act

Answer 5

1964 44 states had anti-poverty programs, 53 Job Corps centres providing job training
members of 25,000 families on welfare received work training
est. office of economic opportunity

Question 6

aid for dependant children

Answer 6

4 mil receiving

Question 7

population of those in poverty

Answer 7

17% 1965
11% early 70s

Question 8

education to reduce poverty

Answer 8

35,000 college students on work study programs where poorer students could earn federal funding through part time work
35,000 adults learning to read and write
40,000 adults enrolled in basic education

Question 9

rural loans

Answer 9

$7 mil 1968

Question 10

unemployment

Answer 10

3.9% 1967 13 year low

Question 11

minimum wage

Answer 11

up 35 cents

Question 12

race disparity in poverty

Answer 12

1/3 non white families lived in poverty. Infant mortality and unemployment rates nearly double that of whites

Question 13

model cities

Answer 13

Chicago, LA, Detroit and others designated model cities but were underfunded. Estimated $2.4bil but NYC alone needed $6bil

Question 14

opposition to improved housing

Answer 14

white tax payers didn’t want to fund large scale improvements and opposed integrated housing

Question 15

Fair Housing Act

Answer 15

1968 failed as black people would need legal representation
was pushed through after MLK assassination- Congress felt they needed to response

Question 16

Detroit rioters wages

Answer 16

4/5 earned over $120 a week
shows dissatisfaction was due to housing and alienation

Question 17

New govt department for housing

Answer 17

Housing and urban development

Question 18

Johnson commitment to housing

Answer 18

local community and all levels of govt would work on affordable housing and slum clearance

Question 19

Medicare and Medicaid

Answer 19

in Social Security Act 1965
lifted millions elderly americans out of poverty
helped 19mil 1966

Question 20

negatives of medicare and medicaid

Answer 20

gaps in coverage (spectacles), far more expensive than anticipated as doctors set fees
only 1/5 of population benefitted

Question 21

spending on healthcare

Answer 21

$1.3bil 1965
$2bil 1966

Question 22

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

Answer 22

1965 channeled money to poorer states
% of those with high school diploma rose

Question 23

Higher Education Act

Answer 23

1965 25% college students received aid

Question 24

federal expenditure on education

Answer 24

doubled to $8bil

Question 25

state of education

Answer 25

54mil never finished high school 8mil had under 5 years schooling 100,000 high school graduates with proven ability could not afford college schools were overcrowded, rundown, short of teachers

Question 26

education improvements

Answer 26

13mil children benefited from federal aid to education