1960s The New Frontier and The Great Society

Foreign Policy JFK’s New Frontier Strong stand in Berlin (but Berlin Wall erected anyway, Aug 1961) “Flexible response” = use of guerrilla forces Tried to topple Castro in Cuba; resulted in Bay of Pigs fiasco, April 1961 Cuban Missile Crisis (October, 1962) blocked nuclear weapons in Cuba, but brought world to brink of war Sent 16,000 troops to Vietnam Nuclear test ban treaty, July, 1963 (signed by all countries but France and China) Alliance for Progress (1961) = $20 million aid to Latin America Peace Corps (1961) sent young volunteers to third-world countries. LBJ Great Society Used Gulf of Tonkin incident as justification for military action in Southeast Asia Sent 500,000+ troops to Vietnam (“escalation”), which divided the nation Bombed North Vietnam (“Operation Rolling Thunder”) War destroyed Johnson’s presidency and tarnished his legacy

Civil Rights Policy JFK’s New Frontier Made civil rights a moral issue (June, 1963) Defended freedom riders Enforced desegregation of universities (James Meredith) Proposed Civil Rights Act Feared southern Democrats in Congress Clashed with MLK (wiretapped him) LBJ Great Society Civil Rights Act of 1965 outlawed discrimination by employers and unions Voting Rights Act of 1965 eliminated restrictions on African-American voting Economic Opportunity Act created EEOC to enforce anti- discrimination in hiring Appointed Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court Urban riots in undermined program

Great Society Domestic Policy Tax cut of more than $10 billion passed in 1964, resulted in economic boom Medicare Act of 1965 = hospital insurance and medical expenses for retired Medicaid provided grants to states to help poor below retirement age Elementary and Secondary Education Act provided $1.5 billion to school districts to improve education of poor people. Created Heart Start for disadvantaged children for elementary school Immigration Act of 1965 discontinued national origin system, basing immigration on skills and need for political asylum Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 provided 240,000 housing units and $2.9 billion for urban renewal. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs established in 1966 Rent supplements for low-income families

The Johnson Treatment