2.2 - Johnson's Great Society

Question 1

What were the characteristics of `Johnson’s GS?

Answer 1

• End of poverty
• Racial equality
• Edu reforms
• Modern housing
• End of urban decay
• Renewed sense of community
• Environmentalism
• Peace with other nations

Question 2

Why did Johnson have much greater opportunity to pass reforms than JFK?

Answer 2

• Americans demonstrated readiness to respond to idealistic president that repudiated 50s selfishness + complacency
• after JFK’s assassination: Johnson’s optimism & positivity welcomed about America potential
• 75% approval rating in the polls allowed Johnson to persuade Congress to enact an exceptional quantity reforming legislation that impacted upon millions of lives

Question 3

What CR laws did Johnson pass?

Answer 3

• 1964 CRA: bill stuck in congress at JFK’s death
• Johnson insisted best way to honour Kennedy’s memory
• Ended legal enforced segregation of south but did not ensure voting rights
• Follow up 1965 VRA to cover this after MLK’s selma campaign
• 1968: Fair Housing Act: prohibited discrimination in sale/ renting of housing (difficult to enforce against white opposition)
• Supported integrated housing but whites opposed because racism + property value falling when blacks moved into white neighbourhoods
• Received worst ever hate over plea for integrated housing & congress repeatedly rejected legislation until MLK assassination

Question 4

What were Johnson’s practical achievements in CR?

Answer 4

• CRA + VRA = transformed black American lives in the South
• Used executive powers to help black Americans (eg: an executive order of 1965 required any institution receiving federal funding to employ more non whites) = accelerated affirmative action
• opinions varied libs: praised it as it greatly minorities in education and employment
• helped improve the social, pol & econ status of black Americans during CR legislation, affirmative action policies + war on poverty

Question 5

What are the failure of Johnson’s action on CR

Answer 5

• situation of many black Americans still remained dire
• Conservatives criticised EO it as discriminating against whites and demeaning blacks

Question 6

What was the most crucial element in Johnson’s mind of the GS?

Answer 6

• Poverty
• Jan 1964: declared war on poverty

Question 7

What were estimates on amount to end poverty?

Answer 7

• 1962: Group of Uni of Michigan social welfare experts predicted - somewhat easy end poverty with a $2 billion annual budget
• others rightly judged this unrealistic

Question 8

What legislation did Johnson pass for poverty and unemployment?

Answer 8

• 1964: Economic Opportunity Act
• EOA established Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) - coordinated war on poverty

Question 9

What progress did Kennedy report to Congress in Feb 1965?

Answer 9

• 44 states had antipoverty programmes + 6 more soon
• 53 Job corps centres providing training receiving thousands daily applications
• Members of 25,000 families on welfare receiving work training
• 35,000 college students on work-study programmes (poorer students could earn fed funding through PT work)
• 35,000 adults learning read + write
• 9,000 adults enrolled in basic edu programmes
• Neighbourhood youth corps in 49 cities + 11 rural communities giving young ppl jobs to help stay in edu / get training
• 8,000 volunteers in service to USA (VITSA) assisting groups eg: needy children, NA, migratory workers
• > 4Mn receiving Aids to families with dependent children benefits
• Loans given to smaller businesses + rural development (eg: $17Mn distributed in rural loans in 1968)

Question 10

Johnson’s practical achievements

Answer 10

• Head Start: enabled poor pre-school children catch up with other children (Almost 1Mn disadvantaged children enrolled in programme under Johnsnon)
• Upward bound: linked higher edu institutions to poorer students with college potential (around 50,000 participated yearly under Johnson)
• Other anti-poverty programmes eg: foo-stamp through food stamp act 91964)
• 35% wage in minimum wage