Lesson 1: The Great Society

Lesson Focus

Following President Kennedy's death, Lyndon Johnson used his political skill to launch the "Great Society." We will explore his ambitious domestic agenda to fight poverty and inequality, which dramatically expanded the federal government's role in American life.

People to Know

Lyndon B. Johnson

Learning Objectives

• Explain how Johnson’s focus on consensus building contributed to his landslide victory in the 1964 election.
• Discuss key programs from Johnson's "War on Poverty" and their goals for American society.

Following President Kennedy’s assassination, Vice President Lyndon Johnson took office, promising to continue Kennedy's vision.
As a former Senate Majority Leader, he skillfully used consensus, or general agreement, to unite Congress and the nation.
His firm leadership and experience allowed him to quickly begin translating Kennedy's ideals into effective legislation, assuring Americans that the government would move forward with strength and purpose during a difficult time.

Using the nation's grief to build support, Johnson urged Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a tribute to Kennedy.
He then campaigned for president in 1964 with his Great Society platform, which promised to fight poverty and discrimination.
His opponent, conservative Barry Goldwater, failed to gain wide support, leading to Johnson's landslide victory and a clear public mandate for his ambitious social programs.

Michael Harrington's book, The Other America, exposed the reality that millions of Americans lived in poverty, hidden from public view.
In response, Johnson declared an unconditional "War on Poverty" in 1964, creating the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO).
Pay special attention to its programs like VISTA, Job Corps, and Project Head Start, which aimed to help the poor gain skills and opportunities to improve their own lives.

The Great Society expanded federal programs into new areas of American life, including healthcare and immigration.
After years of debate, Congress passed the Medicare Act in 1965, providing hospital care for citizens over 65.
That same year, the Immigration Act of 1965 abolished the old national quota system, which dramatically increased immigration from Asia and Latin America and diversified the nation's population.

In 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., led a march in Selma, Alabama, to protest the violent suppression of black voters.
National outrage erupted when peaceful marchers were brutally attacked by police.
This pressure enabled President Johnson to pass the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, which eliminated literacy tests and allowed federal oversight. As a result, hundreds of thousands of African Americans registered to vote, gaining significant political power.

By the late 1960s, the high cost of Great Society programs combined with massive spending on the Vietnam War.
This created a huge budget deficit, forcing Johnson to choose between funding domestic programs ("butter") or the war ("guns").
In 1968, to get a needed tax increase, he was forced to cut billions from domestic spending, which effectively brought the expansion of the Great Society to an end.