There are two interesting plans that come to mind in American history, the “Great Society” founded by Lyndon Johnson and the “New Deal” ideas founded by Franklin Roosevelt. The longing for both social ideas grew from intense eras in history. The “Great Society” was a response to prosperity and the “New Deal”, which was a response to the Great Depression.
In both instances, the government was used to enhance society and social welfare and improve the United States economically, socially, and politically. They founded government sponsored employment programs, gave government funding to the arts, provided federal encouragement to build housing and passed federal legislation to help the elderly.(3)
In the 1965, State of the Union address, President Lyndon Johnson outlined the goals of ”the Great Society,” which was a set of programs designed to advance civil rights and aid those in poverty. “The great society rests on abundance and liberty for all. It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice, to which we are totally committed in our time.”(1) He called for “new, improved or bigger programs in attacking physical and mental disease, urban blight, water and air pollution, and crime and delinquency.”(1)
The “Great Society” legislation included many programs created under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which established jobs and youth volunteer programs as well as Head Start (pre-school education for poor children). Johnson’s social welfare legislation also formed Medicare and Medicaid, which offered health care services for citizens over 65 and low-income citizens for the first time in history.(1) In addition, the Great Society included the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 196...
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...ign policy and national defense.(3)
Parts of theses societies did have a lasting impact, however, most importantly the civil rights legislation, the creation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs and the impact made towards women’s suffrage. The “New Deal” revolution helped safeguard the Constitution with permanent reforms such as Social Security, FDIC, TVA, and SEC.(2)
Work Cited
(1) "Jan. 4, 1965 | Lyndon Johnson Outlines ‘Great Society’ Plans." The Learning Network Jan 4
1965 Lyndon Johnson Outlines Great Society Plans Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec.
2013.
(2)"AP US History: The Study Guide." : Final Exam. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
(3)"Roosevelt’s New Deal." HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
Lyndon B. Johnson and Ronald Reagan had diverse understandings of the part of the government, especially when it came to local arrangement. Lyndon Johnson reported his organization "Great Society." These projects would go past consummation racial bad
When Lyndon B. Johnson succeeded the presidency after John F. Kennedy's assassination he spoke of his vision of a Great Society in America. This Great Society included "an end to poverty and racial injustice," and also was intended to turn America into a place where kids can enhance their mind, broaden their talents, and people could restore their connection with the environment. In order to reach his goal, LBJ enacted numerous proposals involving taxes, civil rights, poverty, and much more. For the most part Johnson did an excellent job on delivering his promises, but international affairs threatened the Great Society and although LBJ won the presidency in a landslide victory in 1964, by 1966 he and the Supreme Court began to face serious criticism.
This book follows Johnsons political career, from a eager hard-working congressional secretary to the landslide victor of the 1964 presidential election. It discusses his "liberal" political views, It seems as though Johnson thought he could help the American people single-handedly and he seemed determined to do it. Johnson is He is praised for his vast legislative record and his stand on poverty and eventually, civil rights. He is criticized for his methods and
In January of 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson declared “war on poverty” in a state of the union speech. His dream for a better America came with the greatest prosperity of the post war years. The nations GNP was up, unemployment was down and disposable personal income was at an all-time high. As the baby boom generation aged more American’s than ever would enter the work force and it was imperative that the county develop some a plan for its growing nation. As part of Johnsons war on poverty he create the idea of a “great society” in which ground rules where laid out for programs that the president was sure would help the nation. Johnsons first ever reference to the great society came in a speech directed toward students at the Ohio University in Athens where he proudly boasted “and with your courage and with your compassion and your desire, we will build the great society where no child will go unfed, and no youngster will go unschooled”. Johnson was dedicated to this ideal of a new society, together with Sargent Shriver, he worked on developing a committee of civil rights activist. He also arraigned a team of sociologist, psychologist and pediatricians including pediatrician Dr. Robert Cooke of John Hopkins University. Johnson and his crew worked rigorously to develop a program to help America’s children overcome the obstacle of poverty. The name head start was chosen as a representation of the gap that is ever present between middle class and lower class children academically and the ideal that this program would give underprivileged children a much needed head start on education and over all wellbeing.
When Johnson took over the Presidency following the assassination of Kennedy, he was determined to push through the Great Society agenda. President Johnson used the recent death as a reason to quickly enact laws for social reform in memory of Kennedy. Despite Republican opposition, Johnson was able to get the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 passed through congress,
People continue to argue whether the New Deal is radical or conservative today, using many programs and outcomes as their support. The government imposed new radical programs influencing American society with changes in political and social reform. Conservatives at the time felt threatened by government interference, feeling the changes led them toward a socialist style of government. Today, historians view the New Deal as more conservative, completely opposite of what conservatives felt at the time. With programs challenging economic, social, and political standards, the New Deal imposed both radical and conservative ideals into the American society, causing Franklin D. Roosevelt to leave his lasting stamp and legacy on all presidents and generations to come.
During the LBJ administration, Johnson was focused on ending the War on Poverty, the centerpiece of his presidency, and bringing justice to his fellow men and women. However, his pressing desire was to give the “Great Society a chance to grow and prosper! Johnson inherited the presidential seat after the death of John F. Kennedy. Immediately, Johnson was concentrated on establishing himself in the office of the Presidency, and to continue the legacy of JFK. Johnson quickly administered a group of domestic programs which he called the “Great Society”. Johnson’s vision for the Great Society drew on both his own primary identification with the New Deal (which he supported heavily) and his commitment to go beyond the achievement of FDR to create an America worthy of leadership in the twenty-first century. For America, this was the perfect time to build a Great Society. LBJ was confident that this was a time to prove that our material progress is only the foundation on which we will build a richer life in mind and spirit. He believed that the Great Society rested on an abu...
He was also a huge factor in helping abolish discrimination. By signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Johnson made it clear that discrimination in the United States was coming to an end. Then, he signed the Voting Rights Act, which gave all Americans the right to vote regardless of a person’s race, a person’s color, or a person’s knowledge. After that, he abolished the poll tax which stated that citizens no longer had to pay a tax to go to the polls and vote for a president. He was also the president during the Vietnam War.
It was a traumatic and a crucial moment for a generation. In general, Kennedy’s New Frontier Program was triumphant in boosting the economy as well, as lining the way for several political, international and social reforms. The majority of Kennedy’s economic and social reforms were swiftly passed and implemented by Congress subsequent to his assassination by his own Vice-President and successor, Lyndon Baines Johnson--who quickly renamed Kennedy’s New Frontier “The Great Society.” Sadly, John Kennedy, himself did not live to see the majority of his New Frontier enacted. Kennedy had designed an ambitious legislative agenda for the preceding years of his term.
As the president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt worked hard to provide safe, happy, and affluent life to American people. Many problems such as unemployment, poor banking and systems were caused by the Depression. In order to approach the resumption of the nation, Roosevelt planed to make changes. Some changes took place in the New Deal’s goals between the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s inaugural address in 1933, his campaign speech at Madison Square Garden in 1936, and his proposal for an Economic Bill of Right in 1944 did effectively bring people better conditions for their life, reformation of their welfare (for vulnerable people), and hope for freedom.
During Johnson’s presidency, the federal government significantly extended its domestic responsibilities in attempt to transform the nation to what Johnson called the “Great Society,” in which poverty and racial intolerance ceased to exist. A previously unsurpassed amount of legislation was passed during this time; numerous laws were passed to protect the environment, keep consumers safe, reduce unfairness in education, improve housing in urban areas, provide more assistance to the elderly with health care, and other policies to improve welfare. Johnson called for a “War on Poverty,” and directed more funds to help the poor; government spending towards the poor increased from six billion in 1964 to twenty-four and a half billion dollars in 1968. Not only did Johnson improve the American economy and greatly reduce poverty, but he also advocated for racial equality; he managed to get Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, making segregation illegal in public accommodations/institutions. He also enacted the Voting Rights Act of 1965, prohibiting literacy tests in areas in which the amount of voters was under a certain number, which forced many southern states to allow more blacks to vote. As a result of his presidency, the poor and minorities enjoyed significant benefits from the more favorable legislations and more successful American legislation.
... Great Society and Obama’s health care reform came into existence. Without the socialism/labor movement the civil rights, women’s rights and peace movements and their lasting impacts on society would never have happened.
The New Deal was considered in such a way an expansion of the Progressive Era, however, it was not a continuation. The Progressive Era and FDR’s New Deal worked to reform the economic system. Nonetheless, the new deal worked more with programs to stimulate the economy while progressive was more of a philosophy. Another historical event that can relate to the Reforms of the 1800s. The reforms or the 1800s were similar to the reforms of the New Deal and the Progressive Era. The Progressive Era reforms for mainly focused on improving American life, these ideas were also comparable to the 1800s. The New Deal reforms and the Reforms of the 1800s both provided direct relief to those who struggled during both time
Thesis The Progressive Era and the New Deal Era had a significant amount of similarities with policies and programs to reform the American society and improve lives and fight poverty in America. Although the Progressive and New Deal Era had many similarities, there were still differences between them. Both the Progressive and the New Deal Era’s main goal was to improve American society. Both of the Progressive and New Deal’s accomplishments were rooted in the economic depression and the need for change before the era, the Guilded age in the 19th century for the Progressive era, and the Great Depression for the New Deal era. As the Guilded Age was ending, and the Progressive Era was emerging, most American families had to live with the harsh reality of sweatshops, slums, child labor, corruption in government and businesses, disease, and racial prejudice.
It is worth examining how the New Deal period represented a significant departure from US government and politics up to then. From the start of Roosevelt's period in office in 1932, there was a widespread sense that things were going to change. In Washington there was excitement in the air, as the first Hundred Days brought a torrent of new initiatives from the White House. The contrast with Herbert Hoover's term could not have been more striking. By 1934, E.K. Lindley had already written about The Roosevelt Revolution: First Phase. Hoover, meanwhile, denounced what he saw as an attempt to "undermine and destroy the American system" and "crack the timbers of the constitution." In retrospect, it was only a "half-way revolution", as W. Leuchtenburg has written. Radicals have been left with a sense of disappointment at the "might have beens", in P. Conkin's words.