1. New Frontier and Great Society Section 18.1

3. Style or Substance? Which is more important in making an effective president?

4. Describe Kennedy as President. Inaugural address –A statement that the young were taking control –Vigorous, energetic, bold –Hawkish In Practice –Slow, cautious to initiate new legislation –Why? Lacked a mandate –Election was slim –Not a clear endorsement of his ideas Conservative Congress

5. What was the New Frontier? Kennedy’s personal domestic progressive program Not an organized set of new laws (like the New Deal) Included legislation for public schools, wilderness preservation, infrastructure, medical insurance for elderly Invigorated the liberals –Had become complacent with the economic prosperity of the 1950s

7. What is meant by describing JFK’s Administration as “Camelot”? Seemed Royal, like a King JFK and Jackie (his wife) were elegant, stylish, and good looking Cultivated this image on TV, magazines

9. Describe Kennedy’s Working Style: Surrounded himself w/ highly educated advisers –Called the “best and the brightest” Pragmatic –Called himself “A Practical Idealist” –Did what worked rather than what liberal ideology wished Visionary –Set goal of landing man on moon for NASA John Glenn-= 1 st American to orbit earth (2/62) Peace Corps –Volunteers sent to developing countries to assist in education, building »80 thousand sent to 88 nations

12. Describe his Assassination:

14. Describe his Assassination. JFK went to Dallas, TX to begin campaigning for ’64 election Shot twice as he rode in open car Lee Harvey Oswald –Ex Marine, communist, Cuba sympathizer –Shot from 6 th floor of Dallas Book Depository –Arrested in movie theater –Assassinated by Jack Ruby at police station

15. Zapruder Film

16. Zapruder Slow Motion

17. What was the Warren Commission and why were its findings controversial? Investigative committee headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren Concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald had acted alone in assassination Controversial –Why?

18. Difficult shot –3 shots in 6 seconds Zapruder film –Made it look like shot came from “Grassy Knoll” “Magic Bullet” –Developed by Arlen Specter to explain how both JFK and Gov. Connally were hit Seemed impossible Oswald assassinated by Jack Ruby (nightclub owner) –Mob hit? What was the Warren Commission and why were its findings controversial? Cubans? Texas oil men?

19. Oliver Stone’s Theory Click to Play

20. Lone Assassin or Conspiracy?

21. Oswald Assassinated

22. How did the nation react to the assassination?

23. Shocked and devastated –“Where were you when Kennedy was shot?” Shattered hopes of many –African Americans –Liberal idealists Camelot image of fallen hero became legendary

24. The End of Camelot

25. Describe Lyndon Baines Johnson’s style as president. Opposite of Kennedy –Crude, intimidating, unpolished –Experienced Southerner (Texas) Coalition Builder –“The Treatment” Flattered or threatened congressmen into voting for his proposals

26. What was the Great Society? LBJ’s continuation and extension of JFK’s New Frontier program His vision for a just, fair society without poverty, racism, etc. Declared ‘war on poverty’

28. What were some of the most important laws of the Great Society? Civil Rights Act of 1964/Voting Rights Act of 1965 Economic Opportunity Act –Fed programs that fought poverty Medical Care Act –Provided money for: Medicare = Elderly Medicaid = Poor Model Cities Act –Gave money to build housing, recreational facilities, transportation for poor –Created HUD

29. Was the Great Society successful? Poverty dropped: –1959= 22% –1969= 12% Under funded –War in Vietnam began to steer money away from programs, which continued regardless –Liberal economists spoke of having ‘guns and butter’ Resorted to deficit spending, which led in the 1970s to “double digit” inflation

30. Criticism Did it create a welfare generation? Give a man a fish, feed him for a day Teach a man to fish, feed him for life….