1. What would you expect to be the positive and negative reactions towards the Great Society?

2.  Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO)   worked to create jobs and fight poverty  VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America)   young people were put to work in poor school districts  Medicare   gov’t health insurance program for the elderly over 65  Medicaid   gov’t health care for people on welfare

3.  Head Start   education program directed at disadvantaged preschool children  Elem. and Sec. Educ Act of 1965   provided millions of dollars to public and private schools  Dept. of Housing and Urban Development   help the nation’s deteriorating cities; build houses for middle and low income  Immigration Reform Act   strict limit on immigrants coming to U.S.; eliminated preference system  Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed by Congress  Outlawed discrimination in voting, education, and public places  Title IX prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex

4.  Food Stamp Act   coupons to buy food for disadvantaged people  Job Corps   job training for Americans aged 16 through 21  National Foundations of the Arts—  offered grants to artists and scholars  National Traffic and Motor Act—  established safety standards for all vehicles  CAP—  program that offered gov’t grants to community groups to improve neighborhoods  Programs still remaining: Medicare, Medicaid, Project Head Start, Dept. of Transportation, Dept. of HUD, Food Stamps

5.  Some people felt that it only benefited African Americans and minorities which resided in poor living conditions  Increased gov’t spending on: areas of poverty, health care  LBJ approved a tax cut so DEFICIT SPENDING increased the national debt  Areas of low-income housing became centers for crime  People criticized Food Stamp program  CHANGE to credit-like card instead of food stamps

6.  What do you think was the most important part of LBJ’s “Great Society”? Why?  Would you consider the “Great Society” to be a successful program? Why?  In 1959  21% of U.S. lived in poverty  By 1969  12% lived below poverty