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Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society. What domestic policies does LBJ bring to the White House?. Carrying on Kennedy’s Legacy. Lyndon B. Johnson was a shrewd politician, uses Kennedy’s legacy to get things done
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Lyndon B. Johnson’sGreat Society What domestic policies does LBJ bring to the White House?
Carrying on Kennedy’s Legacy • Lyndon B. Johnson was a shrewd politician, uses Kennedy’s legacy to get things done • LBJ urges Congress to cut taxes, tax cuts spur economic growth, & lower federal deficit • Urges Southern Senators not to block Civil Rights Act • Act passes and prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, and sex (Govt gets new powers to enforce these laws)
LBJ’s War On Poverty • 1964: LBJ creates Economic Opportunity Act (EOA) • $1 billion for youth programs, antipoverty measures, small business loans, and job training. • EOA also creates • 1) Job Corps Youth Training Program • 2) VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) • 3) Head Start (pre-school) • 4) Community Action Program
LBJ’s Great Society • Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965: gave $1 bill. + in fed. aid to public schools • Medicare: provided low-cost medical insurance for almost every American 65 years old and older • Medicaid: extended health insurance to welfare recipients • Immigration Act of 1965: opened the door for non-European immigrants to settle in the US • Water Quality Act of 1965: required states to clean up rivers & seek out the worst chemical polluters • Department of Transportation created to deal with air, rail, highways • Corporation for Public Broadcasting (educational radio & TV)
Reforms in Supreme Court • Several major cases decided by Supreme Court during LBJ years • Baker v. Carr: Courts can tell congress to reapportion their districts to have more fair representation • Gideon v. Wainwright, 1963: criminal courts must provide free legal counsel to those who cannot afford it • Miranda v. Arizona, 1966: all suspects must be read their rights before questioning