 Do you think the government should help citizens that are struggling in life?

 Johnson’s mastery of the political process, along with his years of experience in Washington, allowed Johnson to make a smooth transition to the presidency.  He vowed to continue to carry on the New Frontier.  Johnson called on members of Congress to pass Kennedy’s programs so that Kennedy did not die “in vain.”  Johnson wanted to go beyond the Kennedy administration’s plans; he sponsored anti- poverty programs, tax-cut bills, and civil rights legislation.

 Johnson pushed for the passage of Kennedy’s tax- cut bill. ◦ Congress demanded that the president promise to hold government spending to $100 billion. ◦ Johnson used the press to help him convince Congress to pass the Tax Reduction Act in ◦ The nation’s economy grew by more than 10 percent and unemployment declined.  Johnson pushed for the passage of Kennedy’s civil rights bill. ◦ After a year of debate, Congress passed the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

 In 1964 Johnson told the nation that he had his own plans for the United States. He called the domestic programs of his administration the Great Society.  In order to launch Johnson’s Great Society, he needed to win the 1964 election. Chose Hubert Humphrey as his running mate Republicans selected Barry Goldwater as their nominee.  Barry Goldwater’s views were very different from Johnson’s. He suggested using nuclear weapons to end Vietnam. Attacked the Great Society with claims that people were only equal in the eyes of God and that government programs to help people were similar to communism

 Elementary and Secondary Education Act - first large scale program of government aid to public schools  The Higher Education Act - created the first federal scholarships for needy college students  Head Start – education program for preschool children of low-income parents  Omnibus Housing Act – created Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)  Medicaid – program that provides free health care for poor people  Medicare – health care program for people over age 65  The Great Society emphasized the environment; laws were passed to improve water and air quality.  Lady Bird Johnson worked to preserve the outdoors and natural beauty of the United States. ◦ Pushed for the Highway Beautification Act (came to be called Lady Bird’s bill)

 Between 1965 and 1966, Congress passed 181 of the 200 major bills that President Johnson requested. Some members of Congress were concerned about the rapid pace of reform.  The midterm elections of 1966 allowed the Republicans to gain seats in both houses of Congress—which slowed down Johnson’s legislative program.  The new Congress did enact some Great Society programs: Public Broadcasting Act (1967) — Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Public Broadcasting System (PBS), and National Public Radio (NPR). The Truth-in-Lending Act (1967) A 1968 law to establish the nation’s wild and scenic rivers program

 The wave of liberal reform that characterized the Great Society also swept through the Supreme Court of the 1960s.  Beginning with the 1954 landmark decision Brown v. Board of Education, which ruled school segregation unconstitutional  The Warren Court banned prayer in public schools and declared state-required loyalty oaths unconstitutional. It limited the power of communities to censor books and films and said that free speech included the wearing of black armbands to school by antiwar students.

 Baker v. Carr (1962) was the first of several decisions that established the principle of “one person, one vote.” The Court asserted that the federal courts had the right to tell states to reapportion—redivide—their districts for more equal representation. In later decisions, the Court ruled that congressional district bound- areas should be redrawn so that districts would be equal in population, and in Reynolds v. Sims (1964), it extended the principle of “one person, one vote” to state legislative districts. (See Reynolds v. Sims, page 980.) These decisions led to a shift of political power throughout the nation from rural to urban areas.  In Mapp v. Ohio (1961), the Court ruled that evidence seized illegally could not be used in state courts. This is called the exclusionary rule.  In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), the justices required criminal courts to provide free legal counsel to those who could not afford it.  In Escobedo v. Illinois (1964), the justices ruled that an accused person has a right to have a lawyer present during police questioning.  In 1966, the Court went one step further in Miranda v. Arizona, where it ruled that all suspects must be read their rights before questioning.

 These rulings greatly divided public opinion.  Liberals praised the decisions, arguing that they placed necessary limits on police power and protected the right of all citizens to a fair trial.  Conservatives, however, bitterly criticized the Court. They claimed that Mapp and Miranda benefited criminal suspects and severely limited the power of the police to investigate crimes.

 Did the Great Society create a culture of dependency or is it the responsibility of the federal government to intervene and help the people?  sCM