70 likes | 192 Views
The Great Society. Chapter 24 Section 3. Johnson T akes T he Reins. * After JFK was assassinated, Lyndon B Johnson became president and sought to put in place many of the social programs that Kennedy himself wanted to implement.
E N D
The Great Society Chapter 24 Section 3
Johnson Takes The Reins * After JFK was assassinated, Lyndon B Johnson became president and sought to put in place many of the social programs that Kennedy himself wanted to implement. *Johnson had a large amount of political experience, he was a member congress for 26 years and served in other roles in Government. * The war on poverty was one of the social issue that Johnson promoted. Fighting poverty was also on JFK’s agenda.
The election of 1964 • Lyndon B Johnson (D) ran for reelection in 1964 against the republican nominee Barry Goldwater. • Goldwater had an aggressive tone with regards to Russia. Many American’s were put-off by this style because they wanted to avoid a Nuclear War. • Johnson would go on to win in a landslide with 61% of popular vote, and electoral votes from 44 States.
The Great Society • Johnson pushed for social change similar to the manner in which Kennedy promoted them. • The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the first time that laws were put in place barring discrimination of any kind including racial discrimination. • Voting rights Act also removed poll taxes making it easier for low income individuals, most of them minorities. Theycould now vote without having to pay the tax.
The Great Society • Medicare and Medicaid were created which reformed some existing health care laws. • Medicare was directed for Senior citizens, the group most in need of Health care. Over 65 years of age. • Medicaid was created to help poor people, specifically the ones living below the poverty line and receiving welfare. • These 2 programs are still around today
The Great Society • Education, another social issue was also part of LBJ’s agenda. He created programs to promote education in low income areas. Also, Acts were passed by the federal government to give money to Schools for supplies. • The Head Start program was created during this time and focused on the education received by pre-k students. The idea was to start them on the right track so they would become intelligent and hopefully get a degree and eventually a good paying job.