M4/2/12; M4/4/11

LBJ’s Great Society(Ch. 30.3; pp. 851-861)

Q: How successful was LBJ in creating his Great Society?

I. Overview• New Deal Dem – FDR’s influence• Sen. Maj. Leader – powerful • “accidental president”• Great Society & Vietnam

II. Initial PoliciesA. War on Poverty• VISTA– dom. peace corps

• Job Corps• Head Start – pre-K educ.• public housing

II. Initial Policies (cont.)

B. Civil Rights• dedicate issue to JFK• Southerner - TX• important leg.– Civil Rights Act of 1964 – fed enforcement– Voting Rights Act of 1965 – after Selma

C. Tax Reduction• liberalism?• $$$ for policies?

III. 1964 ElectionA. Candidates• - Barry Goldwater – Rep (AZ)• - LBJ – Dem. (TX) - “moderate”• - George Wallace challenged Dem

B. Issues• - civil rights• - nuclear weapons• - Vietnam• - gov’t role• - federal vs. state debate

III. 1964 Election (cont.)

C. Results• “landslide Lyndon” – 61% - one of only 4 presidents to have 60+%

• Congressional majority – – 2/3 Dem– similar to ND– “full Johnson”

• massive leg.– modeled FDR’s 100 Days

IV. Great SocietyA. Medical– Medicare (elderly)– Medicaid (poor)

B. Education– federal $$ to educ.– built off Sputnik’s role

C. Civil Rights (more below)D. Arts & Humanities– NEA, – Public Broadcasting Act (1967)• CPB, PBS, NPR

IV. Great SocietyE. Immigration Reform– Immigration & Nationality Act of 1965 (Hart-Cellar Act)

• Loosens restrictions• Latinos, Asians

F. Environment & Pollution– Clean Water Act– Clean Air Act– eventual creation of EPA (under Nixon)

G. New Cabinet Positions – – Transp. & HUD

• Robert C. Weaver (1st African-Amer.) • 1966 HUD

IV. Great Society (cont.)

• - Great Society• - requires lots of $$$• - where is money?• Vietnam

V. Civil RightsA. Civil Rights Organizations– CORE – older– SCLC – religious leaders– SNCC – later, youth– NAACP – older, more m-c

• different goals, esp. over time

B. Civil Rights Act of 1964– ends de jure seg.– federal enforcement– limited voting rights

V. Civil Rights (cont.)

C. MS Freedom Summer Project - 1964– register black voters• college students• biracial

– white resistance– 3 c.r. workers disappear• “Mississippi Burning”

– federal role - FBI

V. Civil Rights (cont.)

D. Selma, AL – MLK – 1965– continued abuses– police brutality– role of TV– white sympathy

E. Voting Rights Act of 1965 – federal enforcement– S. black voting 1M →3.1M– S. black political voice

V. Civil RightsF. Riots & “Long Hot Summers”, 1965-68–Watts (LA) – Aug. 1965–Detroit, Newark, many cities–MLK ass’n – April 1968• southern vs. northern black experience• resentment towards de facto seg & racism• urban blight• “white flight”

– gov’t response – • Kerner Report

–white backlash • (more on 1968 election)

VI. Impact of Civil RightsA. Impact on other Minority Groups–“Balkanization” –gender/ethnic/racial identity–used similar methods• Native Americans – AIM • Latinos – Cesar Chavez/bilingual educ.• Asian Americans • Gays/Lesbians

VI. Impact of Civil Rights B. Women–Feminist movement–Betty Friedan – Feminine Mystique–NOW (National Organization for Women)–ERA Amendment• gender equity

–birth control pill• sexual revolution

VII. Warren Court• liberal court• expansion of rights of criminals–Wainwright v. Gideon – public defender–Mapp v. Ohio – obtaining of evidence –Miranda v. Arizona – “read your rights”