The New Frontier and The Great Society

1. The New Frontier and The Great Society John Kennedy- Lyndon Johnson Social Programs of the 1960s

2. Kennedy’s “New Frontier” • Sophisticated sense of economics • Emphasis on social welfare programs • Directions in CW politics and develop Space Program • Increased aid for education • Medical care for elderly • Increase in minimum wage • Urban reforms • Civil rights reforms • End to poverty • Major tax cuts

3. Background to Great Society • New Deal-like policies aimed at ending poverty & transforming American way of life • Influenced by The Other America (Harrington) • 20% of America lives in poverty, 40% for African-Americans • Civil Rights Act--1964 • Law barred discrimination in public accommodations • It authorized the Justice Dept. to prosecute discrimination against women and minorities • Guaranteed equal opportunities in the workplace

4. More Great Society Background • Voting Rights Act (1965) • Conditions in Selma, AL • 15000 eligible voters; only 335 allowed to register • Provisions • Eliminated barriers to registration: • Poll Taxes • Literacy Tests

5. “Black Power” • Black separatists gained voice • Criticized: • Non-violent techniques • Goal of integration • Malcolm X • Blacks should solve problems without whites • Stokely Carmichael (SNCC) • Called for expulsion of whites from black civil rights organizations

6. The Black Power Movement: • Blacks should do things for themselves rather than rely on the charity of White politicians. • Blacks should defend themselves and fight back if necessary. • Blacks should develop and emphasize pride in their own culture. • Called for: • Black Political Parties • Black-owned businesses • Black cooperatives • Black schools for black children

7. LBJ and the “Long, Hot Summers” • Mid-1960s: non-violent protests gone? • 1964: Riots in Harlem and NYC • 1965: Riots in Watts (LA); Malcolm X killed • 1967: Dozens of riots, also Newark and Detroit • 1968: MLK, Jr.assassinated; race riots nationwide

8. “Kerner Commission” • National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders • Formed after race riots beginning in 1965 • Report issued March 1, 1968 • Country divided into two societies • 40% of non-whites lived below poverty line • Black males twice as likely to be unemployed than whites • Black makes three times as likely to be in low-shill jobs • Poverty cause of crime and civil unrest • “chronic poverty is the breeder of chronic chaos”

9. “War on Poverty”- LBJ • Expanded on JFK proposals • Economic Opportunity Act (1964) • Head Start- for children of low income families- health, nutrition, and education • Job Corps • College work-study • VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) • Neighborhood Youth Corps • Adult job training • CAPS (Community Action Programs)

10. The Great Society • During campaign of 1964 • LBJ vs. Goldwater, LBJ wins • ‘Daisy Girl’ ad turning point in T.V’s influence on politics • Central Themes • Abundance and liberty for all • End to poverty • End to racial injustice • Programs enacted by the 89th Congress

11. Great Society Programs • Introduced Medicare (elderly)/ Medicaid (poor) programs • Passed Elementary and Secondary Education Act • What did this do? • Formed Housing and Urban Development • What is the responsibility of HUD? • Clean air and water regulations • National Endowment for Arts and Humanities

12. VISTA • Volunteers in Service to America • A full time volunteer program • Committed to increasing the capability of low-income people to improve the conditions of their lives • Caption: • “Wanted: Lawyers for the Poor” • Quotation: • “The poor man is cut off from this society and from the protection of its laws. We make him a functional outlaw.” • Those with law degrees could join to bring legal aid to the poor

13. “Ask not what your country can do for you…” • “If you’re not a part of the solution, you’re part of the problem” • Volunteers assigned to local sponsors • Local public agencies • Private nonprofit organizations • In all 50 states, Puerto Rico, DC, or Virgin Islands • Fields: • Education • Runaway youth • Low-income senior citizens • Economic development

14. The Peace Corps • The Program: • Provides opportunities for skilled Americans to serve in developing nations • Tours last approximately two years • Most volunteers work in educational and community development programs • The Purpose: • To give help where needed • To promote a better understanding of the U.S. abroad • To sharpen America’s image of other people

15. Office of Economic Opportunity • Created by LBJ (1964) • Part of the “War on Poverty” • Included ten separate programs: • Job Corps, VISTA, work training programs, work-study programs, and small business incentives • Native American Programs

16. Youth Development Program • Funded by Economic Opportunity Act (1964) • Program Specifics: • Work with peers to learn construction skills • Goal: make youth more employable

17. Head Start Wants You! • Child development program—preschool children of low socioeconomic communities: • Comprehensive educational and social services • Emphasizes parent involvement • Provides health services

18. The Job Corps • Helped young people ages 16—21 secure a better job • Help disadvantaged young people prepare for jobs and responsible citizenship • Enrollees received: • Room and board • Clothing for work, books, supplies • Cash allowance • Two years of training • Job placement assistance • Target demographic: • Unemployed youth who are out of school • Those from slum areas or impoverished rural areas • Those who needed change in environment to develop talents

19. Immigration Reform • Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 • Ended quota system of the 1920’s • Doubled amount of immigrants per year • Effect- more Asian and Latino immigrants

20. Summary: • What were the basic aims of the Kennedy-Johnson social programs? • Defend underprivileged • Extend civil rights opportunities • Provide vocational training • Were the programs successful?