Lyndon Baines Johnson

Question 1

What was Johnsons political career prior to becoming Vice President?

Answer 1

He became Senator for Texas in 1948 before becoming the Youngest minority leader ever in the Senate in 1953 before becoming the majority leader two years later.

Question 2

How did Johnson contribute to Kennedy’s Presidential campaign?

Answer 2

As he was from the South he was able to attract a lot of Southern voters.

Question 3

When did Johnson become President and what did he set out in his opening speech?

Answer 3

22nd November 1963 after Kennedy was assassinated.

He immediately stressed that Kennedy’s progressive vision for America would be achieved. He was liberal minded and promised to wage a war on poverty, the New Frontier.

Question 4

What did Johnson do soon after taking office in regards to domestic policy?

Answer 4

He started a “War on poverty” in which he actively pushed congress to pass legislation attacking illiteracy, unemployment and racial discrimination. He would intimidate senators to get them to pass legislation. Well thought of in the Government.

Question 5

What were the results of the 1964 Presidential election?

Answer 5

Johnson: 486 EC votes, 44 states + DC carried, 43.1 million, 61.1% of the vote.

Goldwater: 52 EC votes, 6 states carried, 27.2 million, 38.5% of the vote.

Question 6

What did Johnson introduce soon after his 1964 victory?

Answer 6

His Great Society Program which aimed to eliminate Poverty in the US.

Question 7

What did the Great Society Program do?

Answer 7

The program introduced the system of medicaid and medicare in order to provide healthcare to elderly and poor Americans, also included measures to improve education, deal with crime and improve water and air pollution.

Question 8

Which two major acts did LBJ sign in regards to Civil Rights.

Answer 8

The 1964 civil rights act which ended segregation and the 1965 voter rights act which guaranteed the right to vote.

Question 9

What was the Domino theory proposed by Johnson?

Answer 9

He believed that one nation falling to communism would lead to a chain reaction in which communism spread worldwide which justified his actions in Vietnam.

Question 10

How much did the number of US soldiers in Vietnam increase by from 1963-1968?

Answer 10

There were 16’000 soldiers when he took office and over 500’000 when he left office in 1968.

Question 11

How did the public view the Vietnam War?

Answer 11

Most were fervently opposed to it as the casualties mounted for very little gain leading to protests across the country.
“Hey Hey LBJ how many kids have you killed today”

Question 12

What influenced LBJ to not re-run for the Presidency in 1968?

Answer 12

His handling of the Vietnam war had led to Nationwide Criticism as well as a decline in support from his own party with him expected to face stiff resistance in the primaries.

Question 13

What major civil rights legislation did Johnson pass in 1964?

Answer 13

On July 2nd 1964 he passed a far stronger civil rights act than the one that had been proposed by Kennedy after at 83 day Southern filibuster.

Question 14

What major civil rights legislation did Johnson pass in 1965?

Answer 14

The Voting Rights Act which outlawed literacy tests and other means used to limit the right of minorities to vote.

Question 15

How many US casualties were there by the end of 1967 per week.

Answer 15

500 per week.

Question 16

How much had the Vietnam war costed by 1967?

Answer 16

Over $25 billion dollars which in turn took away from the Great Society.

Question 17

What undermined LBJ’s position further in 1968?

Answer 17

During the festival of Tet in January 1968 North Vietnamese forces launched assaults across South Vietnam even though the US thought they were winning the war.

Question 18

What act did LBJ pass on the 29th of August 1964? Community Action?

Answer 18

He passed the economic opportunities act which created the Office of Economic Opportunity which provided various help schemes to what he described as pockets of poverty. 1’000 Community Action projects were set up which worked in deprived areas with local volunteers to improve them.

Question 19

What act did LBJ pass on the 31st of August 1964? In regards to food stamps?

Answer 19

He passed the Food Stamp Act which enabled people to exchange stamps in return for food and was later expanded in 1974 so that 15 million people were receiving food stamps.

Question 20

What did LBJ pass on the 30th of July 1965? In regards to medicare?

Answer 20

He passed the Medicare Act which took a small contribution from peoples social security payments and guarantees them free medical care in old age. It also established Medicare which provided free healthcare to people on welfare.

Question 21

What did LBJ pass on the 11th of October 1966? Nutrition?

Answer 21

He passed the Child Nutrition Act which funded schools that could not provide lunches due to lack of cooking equipment, extended lunch provisions to pre schools, increased the provision for free school milk and set up breakfast clubs in deprived areas.

Question 22

What did NIXON pass in December 1969? In regards to Tax

Answer 22

He passed the Tax Reform Act which raised the lowest tax bracket which made 9 million poor families exempt whilst also keeping social security payments in line with inflation.