Chapter 20 Section 3

1. Chapter 20 Section 3 The Great Society

2. LBJ’s Path to Power • Lyndon B Johnson (LBJ) did not come from an affluent family like JFK did. He was a Texan native from a humble back ground • He entered politics in 1937 to the U.S. House of Representatives and thought of himself as a “New Dealer.” • He idealized FDR and modeled his leadership style. • He had a certain quality about him that made him persuasive, it was called the “LBJ Treatment” • Johnson’s handling of Congress led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, which was a voting rights legislation. • His way of persuading Congress to push through legislation caught JFK’s eye and figured that he would be the best to be his running mate in the run for President.

3. LBJ’s Domestic Agenda • As soon as Johnson was sworn in after the assassination of JFK he began to push through legislation that President Kennedy would have done. Legislation such as tax cuts and civil rights bills. • Congress did so, and in two years the economy improved and the national debt decreased 2 billion dollars in 2 years! • LBJ then used his power of influence to push through the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, and sex. • LBJ also declared a “war on poverty” in which Congress passed the Economic Opportunity Act (EOA) which created job training programs, small-business loans, youth programs, and anti-poverty measures.

4. LBJ Is Up For Re-election • In the election of 1964 the Republican party elected Barry Gold Water to run against LBJ. Goldwater thought the government had no role in trying to fix the economic and social situation in the U.S. • Most in the U.S. however were more in line with Johnson’s view on the government’s role in managing the problems in the country. • Plus Goldwater frightened Americans when he stated that he wanted to use nuclear weapons against Cuba and Vietnam. • Johnson won the election in a landslide and with this win he could now easily pass his reform programs. Watch this commercial made in light of Goldwater’s views on using nuclear weapons in Vietnam and Cuba. Do you think this was an effective campaign commercial for LBJ?

5. Building the Great Society • Johnson had a vision for America while he was President, he coined it the “Great Society.” • During 1965-66 the Johnson administration had produced a lot of bills to Congress. One of the main topics that Johnson wanted to tackle was education. • LBJ said that, “education is the key which can unlock the door to the Great Society.” Under his influence Congress passed the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 which gave federal money to public schools. • Healthcare was also important to Johnson’s vision, so he and Congress changed Social Security by establishing Medicare and Medicaid. • Medicare provided hospital insurance and low cost medical insurance to Americans 65 or older • Medicaid extended health insurance to those on welfare

6. Building the Great Society • During the Johnson era, several important decisions shifted political power from the rural to urban areas. • These decisions appropriated money to build a quarter million units of low-income housing and help low to moderate income families live independently. • This led to the creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with its first African American cabinet member as head of it; Robert Weaver. The decisions also weighed on immigration and with the Immigration Act of 1965, the country started to accept non-European immigrants into the U.S. more.

7. More Issues • The environment also became a national issue, a book written by Rachel Carson entitled “Silent Spring” opened American’s eyes to the dangers of pesticides. • This led to the Water Quality Act of 1965 which forced states to clean up rivers and Johnson ordered the government to search for the worst chemical polluters. • This act and actions helped trigger the environmental movement in the U.S. • Consumer protection laws also made headway during these years. Products were now required to have labels on them that told exactly what was in them. • These safety precautions filtered into the food, car, and bottling industries around the U.S.

8. The Warren Court • Many court decisions shaped the new era in which America was entering. The Warren Court made the final decision on Brown v Board of Education which banned segregation from schools as well as prayer in public schools. • The Warren Court also extended the rights of free speech; such as the right to wear protesting cloths or black arm bands to school. • The courts also played a role in the issue of reappointment, which is the way that election districts are drawn within the states. • The rights of the accused were also extended because of the Warren Court and it’s decisions. These decisions required the courts to provide a lawyer for free and banned evidence that was illegally obtained to be used in court. • In the Miranda v. Arizona case, the court ruled that the convicted must be read their rights when arrested.

9. Assignment for the Hour • Define all the terms for Chapter 20 Section 3! • Do questions 3 and 4 on page 693 • Due today, Movie tomorrow on JFK Assassination • Bring only your pencil or pen tomorrow!