180 likes | 513 Views
LBJ and the Great Society. By: Greg Michalczyk and Claire Kapp. LBJ’s Path to the White House. Senator from Texas Influential in the Senate Nominated for the Vice Presidency in 1960 Became President upon Kennedy’s Assassination Nominated in 1964 Won Election in November 1964.
E N D
LBJ and the Great Society By: Greg Michalczyk and Claire Kapp
LBJ’s Path to the White House • Senator from Texas • Influential in the Senate • Nominated for the Vice Presidency in 1960 • Became President upon Kennedy’s Assassination • Nominated in 1964 • Won Election in November 1964
The Great Society • The Election of 1964 • The Tax Cut • The War on Poverty • Aid to Education • Medicare and Medicaid • Immigration Reform
The Election of 1964 • Defeated Senator Barry Goldwater • Was Liberal related to Civil Rights • Ran a controversial commercial about nuclear war • “Landslide Lyndon” • 61 % Popular Vote • 486-52 Electoral Votes • Carried 44 States
The Tax Cut • The economy was not doing well • Kennedy wanted to put more money in people’s pockets by cutting taxes • This was opposed by many conservatives • Johnson proposed to both cut taxes and cut spending • The tax cut then passed
The War on Poverty • Johnson was from a poor family • In the 1960’s poverty was a real problem in the U.S. • Applied $950 million towards fighting poverty in ten separate projects • Head Start – preschool program for low income families • VISTA sent volunteers to help people in poor communities
Aid to Education • $1.3 billion given to the States to help with education • Money was given in relation to how many poor families lived in the State • Signed the bill into law in Johnson City Texas where he went to school
Medicare and Medicaid • These were to help low income people with health insurance • Medicare – Hospital and low cost medical insurance to those 65 and older • Medicaid – Coverage to poor people regardless of age • Most significant improvements since Social Security in 1935
Immigration Reform • Eliminated the quota system • Set a limit of 20,000 per country per year • Set overall limits
The Warren Court • Social Issues • Criminal Procedures • One Man - One Vote
Social Issues • Liberalized the definition of Obscenity • Outlawed religious prayer in public schools • Struck down laws prohibiting birth control
Criminal Procedures • Cannot use illegally seized evidence • Suspects have the right to free legal advice • “Miranda Warning” put in place
One Man – One Vote • Number of people in a congressional district should be about the same • This helped poor and minority people be better represented in Congress
Effects of the Great Society • LBJ was enormously popular for awhile • Not everything worked as it was intended • Complaints that too much money was being spent on the poor • Put too much authority in the federal government’s hands • But, number of poor people were reduced from 1960 to 1970