Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society

President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society was a sweeping set of social domestic policy programs initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson during 1964 and 1965 focusing mainly on eliminating racial injustice and ending poverty in the United States. The term â€Å"Great Society† was first used by President Johnson in a speech at Ohio University. Johnson later revealed more details of the program during an appearance at the University of Michigan. In implementing one of the most impactful arrays of new domestic policy programs in the history of the U.S. federal government, the legislation authorizing the Great Society programs addressed issues such as poverty, education, medical care, and racial discrimination. Indeed, the Great Society legislation enacted by the United States Congress from 1964 to 1967 represented the most extensive legislative agenda undertaken since the Great Depression era New Deal of President Franklin Roosevelt. The flurry of legislative action earned the 88th and 89th Congress the moniker of the â€Å"Great Society Congress.† However, the realization of the Great Society actually began in 1963, when then-Vice President Johnson inherited the stalled â€Å"New Frontier† plan proposed by President John F. Kennedy before his assassination in 1963. To succeed in moving Kennedy’s initiative forward, Johnson utilized his skills of persuasion, diplomacy, and extensive knowledge of the politics of Congress. In addition, he was able to ride the rising tide of liberalism spurred by the Democratic landslide in the 1964 election that turned the House of Representatives of 1965 into the most liberal House since 1938 under the Franklin Roosevelt administration. Unlike Roosevelt’s New Deal, which had been driven forward by sweeping poverty and economic calamity, Johnson’s Great Society came just as the prosperity of the post-World War II economy was fading but before middle and upper-class Americans began to feel the decline   Johnson Takes Over the New Frontier Many of Johnson’s Great Society programs were inspired by the social initiatives included in the â€Å"New Frontier† plan proposed by Democratic Senator John F. Kennedy during his 1960 presidential campaign. Although Kennedy was elected president over Republican Vice President Richard Nixon, Congress was reluctant to adopt most of his New Frontier initiatives. By the time he was assassinated in November 1963, President Kennedy had persuaded Congress to pass only a law creating the Peace Corps, a law increase in the minimum wage, and a law dealing with equal housing. The lingering national trauma of Kennedy’s assassination created a political atmosphere that provided Johnson an opportunity to gain Congress’ approval of some of JFK’s New Frontier initiatives. Harnessing his well-known powers of persuasion and political connections made during his many years as a U.S. Senator and Representative, Johnson swiftly managed to gain congressional approval of two of the most important laws forming Kennedy’s vision for the New Frontier: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination in employment based on race or gender and banned racial segregation in all public facilities.The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 created the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity, now called the Office of Community Services, charged with eliminating the causes of poverty in America. In addition, Johnson secured funding for Head Start, a program that  still provides free preschool programs for disadvantaged children today. Also in the area of educational improvement, the Volunteers in Service to America, now known as AmeriCorps VISTA, program was created to provide volunteer teachers to schools in poverty-prone regions.    At last, in 1964, Johnson got a chance to start working toward his own Great Society. Johnson and Congress Build the Great Society The same Democratic landslide victory in the 1964 election that swept Johnson into his own full term as president also swept many new progressive and liberal Democratic lawmakers into Congress.    During his 1964 campaign, Johnson famously declared the â€Å"war on poverty,† to help build what he called a new â€Å"Great Society† in America. In the election, Johnson won 61% of the popular vote and 486 of 538 electoral college votes to easily defeat ultra-conservative Republican Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater. Drawing on his many years of experience as a legislator and strong Democratic control of Congress, Johnson quickly began to win passage of his Great Society legislation. From January 3, 1965, to January 3, 1967, Congress enacted: The Wilderness Act, which protected over 9 million acres of forestland from development;The Voting Rights Act banning literacy tests and other practices intended to deny African-Americans the right to vote;The Elementary and Secondary Education Act providing federal funding for public schools;The Social Security Amendments of 1965, which created Medicare and Medicaid;The Older Americans Act of 1965 creating a wide range of home and community-based services for older Americans;The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 ending discriminatory immigration quotas based on ethnicity;The Freedom of Information Act making government records more easily available to the people; andThe Housing and Urban Development Act providing funding specifically for construction of low-income housing. In addition, Congress enacted laws strengthening the anti-pollution Air and Water Quality Acts; raised standards ensuring the safety of consumer products; and created the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities. Vietnam and Racial Unrest Slow the Great Society Even as his Great Society seemed to be gaining momentum, two events were brewing that by 1968 would seriously jeopardize Johnson’s legacy as a progressive social reformer. Despite the passage of anti-poverty and anti-discrimination laws, racial unrest and civil rights protests – sometimes violent —grew in frequency. While Johnson would continue to use his political power in an attempt to end segregation and maintain law and order, few solutions were found. Even more damaging to the goals of the Great Society, ever larger amounts of money originally intended to fight the war on poverty was being used to fight the Vietnam War instead. By the end of his term in 1968, Johnson suffered criticism from conservative Republicans for his domestic spending programs and by his fellow liberal Democrats for his hawkish support for expanding the Vietnam War effort.    In March 1968, hoping to prompt peace negotiations, Johnson ordered a near halt to American bombing of North Vietnam. At the same time, he surprisingly withdrew as a candidate for re-election to a second term in order to devote all of his efforts to the quest for peace. While some of the Great Society programs have been eliminated or scaled back today, many of them, such as Medicare and Medicaid programs of the Older Americans Act and public education funding endure. Indeed, several of Johnson’s Great Society programs grew under Republican presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Although Vietnam War-ending peace negotiations had begun when President Johnson left office, he did not live to see them completed, dying of a heart attack on January 22, 1973, at his Texas Hill Country ranch.

Train Of Thought At Boston College - 1205 Words

Train of Thought While standing nervously in the entrance of Cushing Dormitory where I live while at school, I request an Uber. Plenty of time remains before I have to be at the station, so I opt to do an Uber Pool, where the driver picks up another passenger on the way to split the fare. I look around me as I wait. This lobby which had once looked so foreign to me is now just those familiar cream-colored tile walls with a door to my hall on one end and a door to the Law School parking lot on the other. I reminisce on when I first arrived here at Boston College. I expected the transition to be difficult as I knew I would miss home and would have to acclimate to being on my own. What I did not expect, however, was for the day I went back†¦show more content†¦As the oldest sibling and therefore the first to leave home, I worry I will return to a family whose dinner table stories I do not know or whose inside jokes I am not a part of. I worry that when I reunite with friends I have spent years becoming close to that we won’t have the same connections we had when we parted at the end of August. I worry we won’t know the people in each others’ lives anymore and that disparity will weaken our bonds. I worry that my cats will never forgive me for â€Å"abandoning† them and that they will never fall asleep, purring while curled up at my side, again. I worry that when I got off the train I will feel lost and distant, cultured-shocked, in my own home. Whi le lost in these thoughts, thirty-five minutes quickly pass and the 4:30 pm Northeast Regional’s track is listed on the board in the center of South Station. As one of the most popular trains traveling right before a holiday, the rush to get out to Track 8 quickly turns into a scramble. Moving as quickly as possible out to the train’s line, I still find myself at its end. I eventually enter onto the train and search for an empty seat for several minutes before I find one towards the rear. I struggle to lift my heavy suitcase up to the overhead compartment before sitting down next to a middle-aged blonde woman with glasses who is already immersed in a book. The train starts movingShow MoreRelatedAmazing Poets Are Able To Write Their Innermost Feelings1276 Words   |  6 PagesSylvia Plath explains her thoughts of pregnancy through her poem â€Å"Metaphors.† She does this by using puzzling riddles and comparisons. Her words make a reader think about what she is w riting. Sylvia Plath is a famous writer, with a background of depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, that led her to use imagery in her poems, helping her to relate to her readers. Sylvia Plath was an intelligent woman that started writing at a young age. She was born October 27, 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts. Her fatherRead MoreBaseball Memoir Essay1352 Words   |  6 Pagespretending to be  Nomar Garciaparra  I would watch the Boston Red Sox games on TV with my Grandfather.   Even in my early adolescence, as impatient as most are, I had the patience to sit there and watch the Sox.With my  eyes glued to the screen with a look of anticipation fixed on my face ready to  mimic my grandfather  with the  excitement  of a home run hit or the frustration of Mo-Vaughn  striking out.  Call me crazy, but I was addicted, even as a young boy, to Boston Red Sox baseball.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My firstRead MoreDifferences In Competency Related To The Associates And905 Words   |  4 Pagesof Nurse Executive and American Association of College Nursing (AACN) started to differentiate competencies of nursing into separate carrier for the Bachelor’s Degree level and Associates degree level. There are currently three types of registered nurses in United State. One of which are Diploma nurses who usually get education through hospital based settings. This lasts for about 3 years. Next is the Associate degree nurses which are plan to train undergraduates to provide care in an entry levelRead MoreThe Hockey Of The Nhl1684 Words   |  7 Pageshockey for his high school team, and they just took my attention away from everything. The way they skated was just mesmerizing, they were so fluent and graceful. Looking back my first ever NHL game three years ago in Tampa, they were playing the Boston Bruins, and just remembering the way it felt when you sat down and took it all in was quite an experience. It was one of the best feelings, and everytime you go to a game it will always feel the same way. Hockey isn’t just a sport to me, it’s likeRead MoreA Master s Degree Of Counseling Psychology2229 Words   |  9 Pages non-profit, or social/community service setting s. Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts offers a Ph.D program in counseling psychology. Students interested in this program do not need to have a master’s degree prior to applying. However the odds of being accepted into the program are higher if the master’s degree has already been obtained. (Boston College) If the student is denied acceptance into the doctoral program Boston College will offer the option of entering the master’s programRead MoreBiography Of Ashoke Ganguli s Novel, The Namesake, By Jhumpa Lahiri1725 Words   |  7 Pagesbeing safe and staying alive. Ashoke Ganguli becomes a new man after miraculously surviving a train accident on his way to visit his recently blinded grandfather, who was awaiting for his grandchild to give him more books, his getaways from the real world. Moreover, the train accident became the defining moment of Ashoke Ganguli as his love for fiction books became nothing more than a former hobby. The train accident sti rred the callow man’s dormant dreams, as he realized that his life is not securedRead MoreA Research Study On Prevention1432 Words   |  6 Pagesin the classrooms. Although in theory this is a good idea, lack of resources and teacher education on the subject cause the idea to fall short. In a paper wrote for the Hazledon Betty Ford Foundation, Join Together, a nonprofit group established at Boston University School of Public Health reports that schools should not be relied upon to act as the principal provider of general prevention programs. Join Together believes what’s needed is â€Å"a comprehensive community prevention strategy that includesRead MoreComputerized Timekeeping System For An Electronic Gps System1408 Words   |  6 Pagesare resisting the new electronic timekeeping system, and have a bad attitude on this subject, not understanding why there has to be changes in the system they are currently using. Three trainers have been selected to change the wo rkers attitude and train them to be proficient with the new electronic timekeeping system. There are three basic methods of training that can be used to get the employees onboard with the new electronic timekeeping system. The three trainers met to review the different methodsRead MoreNew York : The City Essay1283 Words   |  6 PagesThis is because I come to UMass Amherst from Long Island, New York, from a town about a half hour train ride from New York City. Coming from Long Island, I am part of the very few out of state students that go to UMass Amherst. Your hometown truly defines who you are. I am used to one pound bagels, deep Brooklyn accents, and plenty of Yankee fans. I was born in Massachusetts, right outside of Boston, and moved to Long Island when I was just a toddler, so I can’t remember the Massachusetts cultureRead MoreThe Different Education Exam Systems1266 Words   |  6 Pageswould be willing to go to his or her class and listen carefully. But how to do this, from ancient to now, teaching style is always the topic that people discuss. Now in China, it is traditional education and hidebound style, to be honest, in Chinese college, instructor is authority, students should just listen and take notes, and too much homework lead them they do mot have time to know the world and themselves. They just focus on their academic business, and the test points, because, in Chinese teachers

Where Will You Put Your Million Dollars free essay sample

All women no matter what race or religion deserve to suffer. I don’t mean that type of suffering I mean that all women deserve to have suffrage. Women are only different than men in gender otherwise they are very similar if not exactly alike. Why is it that our country is so biased that we choose to only give the right to vote to men while it affects both the men and women of our country. Women make up roughly forty percent of our population so if we give them the right to vote then we can all come together as a whole to tackle the other problems our society is facing such as child labor, food safety and deforestation. Women suffrage is one of if not the most important issue out society is facing at the moment so I’ve decided that six hundred thousand dollars be spent on giving these women what they really deserve. We will write a custom essay sample on Where Will You Put Your Million Dollars? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Children should break their bones during sports and games not inside coalmines while working. People always say I only want the best for my child, so why is it that children are being put to labor at such a young age. Is that what the best for your child is. Children should live a carefree and fun life. Their lives most certainly should not be spent in the coal mines. Even after two children have been injured and killed inside the mines while at work our society decides not to make an effort to spot this madness. A child should not have to endure that type of suffering or danger children are still developing so if we are requiring that these children work at such a young age what will they develop into. Child labor is a very important issue that our society faces and really should not be a part of our society so I have chosen to give three hundred thousand dollars to stop child labor all together in America. Should we have to worry about if the chicken we are eating was once covered in rat dung and still carries residue of that. I don’t think anyone should have to worry about something like that. This issue is too straight forward and is something we as a country should not have to worry about but it is still happening. Unsafe food is an issue we are facing and it must be solved as soon as possible for the safety and well being of our nation. Unclean food can cause things such as disease and sickness. Is it safe that a piece of meat that tumbled onto the floor and collected dirt, sawdust and saliva and not cleaned or thrown away. I believe that food safety is a very serious issue and one that we should not be facing as a nation so I have chosen to give one hundred thousand dollars to keep the food we eat safe. If these three issues can be resolved by us as a nation maybe we can grow as a nation as well. These issues are very serious ones and should be resolved as soon as they possibly can and I believe that with time and effort they all can. If we can give women the right to vote then maybe that will allow us to unite as a nation so that we may tackle many other problems with more ease. If we can stop child labor then maybe the youth of our country can go on to get a proper education and be able to make new discoveries and advance our nation. If we can keep the food we eat safe maybe we can decrease the number of people who get diseases. I believe all problems in society can be resolved if we can handle them one at a time and step by step. Where Will You Put Your Million Dollars free essay sample Where will you put your million dollars? All women no matter what race or religion deserve to suffer. Eating rat dung should not have to be a concern that we have to think about. Children should break their bones during sports and games not inside coalmines while working. These problems are major issues that are very serious in our lives and need to be solved as soon as possible. In solving these problems it is possible that we may make the America that we live in a better and more suitable place for people of all kinds. All women no matter what race or religion deserve to suffer. I don’t mean that type of suffering I mean that all women deserve to have suffrage. Women are only different than men in gender otherwise they are very similar if not exactly alike. Why is it that our country is so biased that we choose to only give the right to vote to men while it affects both the men and women of our country. We will write a custom essay sample on Where Will You Put Your Million Dollars? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Women make up roughly forty percent of our population so if we give them the right to vote then we can all come together as a whole to tackle the other problems our society is facing such as child labor, food safety and deforestation. Women suffrage is one of if not the most important issue out society is facing at the moment so I’ve decided that six hundred thousand dollars be spent on giving these women what they really deserve. Children should break their bones during sports and games not inside coalmines while working. People always say I only want the best for my child, so why is it that children are being put to labor at such a young age. Is that what the best for your child is. Children should live a carefree and fun life. Their lives most certainly should not be spent in the coal mines. Even after two children have been injured and killed inside the mines while at work our society decides not to make an effort to spot this madness. A child should not have to endure that type of suffering or danger children are still developing so if we are requiring that these children work at such a young age what will they develop into. Child labor is a very important issue that our society faces and really should not be a part of our society so I have chosen to give three hundred thousand dollars to stop child labor all together in America. Should we have to worry about if the chicken we are eating was once covered in rat dung and still carries residue of that. I don’t think anyone should have to worry about something like that. This issue is too straight forward and is something we as a country should not have to worry about but it is still happening. Unsafe food is an issue we are facing and it must be solved as soon as possible for the safety and well being of our nation. Unclean food can cause things such as disease and sickness. Is it safe that a piece of meat that tumbled onto the floor and collected dirt, sawdust and saliva and not cleaned or thrown away. I believe that food safety is a very serious issue and one that we should not be facing as a nation so I have chosen to give one hundred thousand dollars to keep the food we eat safe. If these three issues can be resolved by us as a nation maybe we can grow as a nation as well. These issues are very serious ones and should be resolved as soon as they possibly can and I believe that with time and effort they all can. If we can give women the right to vote then maybe that will allow us to unite as a nation so that we may tackle many other problems with more ease. If we can stop child labor then maybe the youth of our country can go on to get a proper education and be able to make new discoveries and advance our nation. If we can keep the food we eat safe maybe we can decrease the number of people who get diseases. I believe all problems in society can be resolved if we can handle them one at a time and step by step.

On Being Black and Middle Class by Shelley Steele Essay Example

On Being Black and Middle Class by Shelley Steele Paper Shelby Steeles On Being Black and Middle Class, discusses the concept of victimization. Steele believes that the use of victimization is the greatest encumbrance for African Americans. In Steeles perception, white Americans see blacks as victims to ease their guilty conscience, while African Americans attempt to turn their status as victims into a kind of currency that will purchase nothing of authentic or continual value. Hence, Steele firms that blacks must seize buying into this zero sum game by adopting a culture of excellence and achievement without relying on set asides and entitlements. By victimization, Steele is referring to the fact that humanity transforms their historical experiences of injustice into the centerpiece of cultural and group identity, for example blacks today are freer than at any other point in history, yet the identity is more acquainted with victimization than ever before. Steeles usage of the term affects his argument through his thoughts of why black middle-class Americans are unintentionally expected to celebrate the black underclass as the purest representation of African American identity. Steele presumes that the mistake that grew out of Americas desire to fix the racial problem was that it inadvertently made victimization itself a kind of currency of power. Victimization now brings certain benefits, preferences, and entitlements. We will write a custom essay sample on On Being Black and Middle Class by Shelley Steele specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on On Being Black and Middle Class by Shelley Steele specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on On Being Black and Middle Class by Shelley Steele specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Steele claims that by rewarding victimization, the human population encourages blacks to think of themselves as victims. Other terms that could be used to counter Steeles argument would be every group thats seeking atonement from society Hispanics, Asians, African Americans, even women. The victim mindset causes these groups fall farther and farther behind in American mainstream. The tragedy of victimization clutches much power.