Lyndon Baines Johnson &

the ‘Great Society’

Lyndon Baines Johnson &

the ‘Great Society’

Focus Task

• Turn to a neighbor and answer the following questions:– What similarities do you see between LBJ and

Truman?– Do you feel that those similarities had anything to do

with the domestic policies of LBJ?– Identify what was going on in America when LBJ took

over…• What should LBJ focus on?• What should his goals be in light of the issues?• Should LBJ have continued Kennedy’s programs?

Johnson’s Call• JFK’s legacy

– LBJ was sworn in on Air Force 1, 22 Nov ‘63– Won election landslide one year later– Wanted to take Kennedy’s work much

further

• A call for a ‘Great Society’– 1st presidential speech– ‘a place where the meaning of man’s life

matches the marvels of man’s labor’– ‘unconditional war on poverty’– ‘an immediate end to racial injustice’

• LBJ’s legacy not as positive as JFK’s– Conservatives attacked him for spending too

much on social welfare– Liberals attacked him for escalating Vietnam– His ‘Great Society’ is largely forgotten– You decide if history has been fair to LBJ

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Johnson’s Style• JFK was a showman w/ youthful vision

– Little influence over Congress– Failed to get many reforms through Congress

• LBJ was seasoned politician– Extraordinary influence over Congress– Arguably most successful president in getting

out of Congress what he wanted– By the end of 1966 Congress had passed nearly

200 pieces of major legislation proposed by Johnson

– Got sweeping authorization to use military power in Vietnam (Gulf of Tonkin), something JFK would never have been able to do

• LBJ inherited JFK’s staff– Didn’t get along w/ ‘whiz-kids’ like JFK did– LBJ both respected & resented the ‘Harvard-

types’, needing their brains but hating what he perceived to be their arrogance

A #1 hit from 1962, He’s A Rebel

Example of the “Johnson Treatment”

"Goddamn it Vaughn" was the customary lead in. On his more charitable days, it was "Goddamn it boy." After that posture-improving little salutation came the bad part. It was a kind of half-whispered, huskily threatening check-off system with me as the check list. In two minutes or less, LBJ could bring back the entire preceding day's activities in their worst light. In so doing, he would recount and bring under humiliating scrutiny my learning disabilities and apparent highly suspicious loyalty. Piling on criticism of my gross mishandling of the media, pathetic performance on a TV talk show, and faint-hearted lobbying of Congress, my President made me want my Marine drill instructor back. Without fail, his parting show was, "Where is that goddamned White Paper you and Sayre are supposed to be writing for me?"

-Jack Hood Vaughn, former ambassador to Panama & Colombia, and former Director of the Peace Corps

What was the ‘Great Society’?• Different style, same goal

– ‘Great Society’ tried to bring radical social change and improvement for the poor

– Less moral & theoretical, more practical than JFK’s ‘New Frontier’

– LBJ was able to achieve legislation in areas that JFK couldn’t touch, like Medicare for the poor

– Specifically it dealt with antipoverty, civil rights, Medicare, EPActs, consumer protection

• How did he do concerning …– Civil rights?– The economy?– Poverty?

LBJ, May 22, 1964, the heart of his “Great Society” speech.

According to the speech, what is the meaning of “the great society”?

Civil Rights• Five steps forward

– Civil Rights Act (1964)—no discrimination for employment or use of public facilities

– First black cabinet member– First black SC Justice (Thurgood Marshall)– Voting Rights Act (1965)—no discriminatory

voting practices ie: literacy tests• Alabama: “ A US Senator elected at the

general election in November takes office the following year on what date?” A. March 17th, B. Jan. 3rd, C. Jan. 1st

– Immigration Act (1965) ended racial quotas– Civil Rights Act (1968) discrimination for

housing• Two steps back

– Growing racial tensions– Serious race riots & deaths in cities (1968)

A portion of LBJ’s nationally televised speech prior to signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Economy• Four steps forward

– Cut taxes (but rich mostly benefited)

– Improved railroads & highways

– Increased $$$ to universities

– Consumer laws (EX: clear and honest labeling of products; customers could return goods easily)

• Two steps back– Unemployment & inflation rose (Vietnam

War largely to blame)

– Major US companies invested overseas (by 1970s 40% of total profits from factories overseas; cheaper products for all but no direct benefit (jobs) to US laborers)

A hit that reached #3 in 1963, Two Faces Have I

Poverty• LBJ’s “War on Poverty” was extensive:

– Medical Care Act (1965) helped elderly & low-income families

– Increased minimum wage from $1.25 to $1.40 (12% raise)

– Increased Aid to Families w/ Dependent Children (AFDC), helping 745,000 low-income families

– Food stamps for poor families– VISTA program created work in inner cities– Head Start & Upward Bound tried to show

inner city families importance of education– Elementary & Secondary Education Act

(1965) federally funded poorer schools– Job Corps helped high school drop outs

find meaningful work– Neighborhood Youth Corps also helped– Model Cities Act (1966) provided parks &

sports facilities; help poor people w/ rent

Billy Joel’s Allentown

This film was produced by the Department of Agriculture, a cabinet-level department of LBJ’s government. To whom to you think this film was directed?

The Nation Celebrates• Johnson decided not to run in 1968

– Even though he had widest margin of victory in 1964 election (even bigger than FDR!)

• It was an admission of defeat– War in Vietnam– Race riots– High inflation & unemployment– Gov’t spending out of control

• 1968 elections– Democrats lost by a landslide– Richard Millhouse Nixon now president– LBJ died of a heart attack in 1973

For those who believe LBJ wanted to get into Vietnam, as Oliver Stone suggested in his Orwellian film about the JFK assassination, this little piece of evidence is hard to argue with.

Focus Task: He’s got a reputation!• Factors which affected JFK’s & LBJ’s

reputations:– Social policy– CRM– Leadership style– Speeches– Nature of their deaths– Vietnam War

• For each factor explain, w/ examples, how this has affected their reputations, positively or negatively.

• Which do you think is the biggest factor in making or breaking their reputations?

• Out of a possible score of 10 what would you give each President? Write a 50 word paragraph to explain your scores and to explain how far you think each President deserves his reputation.

Fin