* Felt obligated to continue JFK’s programs * Got Kennedy’s tax cut plan passed in February 1964 * Wanted to take a more aggressive approach on “The War.

Lyndon B Johnson

Taking over

*Felt obligated to continue JFK’s programs

*Got Kennedy’s tax cut plan passed in February 1964

*Wanted to take a more aggressive approach on “The War on Poverty”

*Created the Office of Economic Opportunity

*Antipoverty programs included:

*Jobs Corp

*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), a domestic version of the Peace Corps

*Head Start- preschool education program for low-income families

The Great Society

*A Roosevelt New Dealer

*Felt Kennedy’s programs were too conservative

*His vision for America was called “The Great Society

*http://youtu.be/znQKueSDpvI

*May 1964 speech at University of Michigan

1964- LBJ wins election

*Goldwater- “During his 1964 presidential campaign, Mr. Goldwater was attacked by Democrats and opponents within his own party as a demagogue and a leader of right-wing extremists and racists who was likely to lead the United States into nuclear war, eliminate civil rights progress and destroy such social welfare programs as Social Security.”-

*Washington Post Obituary 5/30/1998

*http://youtu.be/fbIfVEboAzg

More Great Society Programs

*1965- Johnson persuaded Congress to establish:

*Medicare- health insurance for people over 65

*Medicaid- government program that provides health care to the needy.

More programs*Education funding: the

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965- provided $1.3 billion in aid to schools in poor areas

*Urban renewal- Omnibus Housing Act of 1965- money for housing assistance for low-income families

*Created the Department of Housing and Urban Development or HUD

More programs

*Supported the NEA- National Endowment for the Arts, and the NEH- National Endowment for the Humanities (gave fellowships to artists, writers and scholars)

*Created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting- PBS

Support for environmental protection*Influenced by Rachel

Caron’s book Silent Spring, the Johnson Administration passes legislation:

*Water Quality Act of 1965

*Air Quality Act of 1967

*Water Pollution Act of 1968

*http://youtu.be/ekDeG-BJYnE

*1960’s Supreme Court was an activist court:

*Landmark decisions :

*Gideon v Wainwright- states must provide lawyers, at public expense. for poor defendants charged with serious crimes (1963)

*Escobedo v Illinois- established the right of the accused to have a lawyer present during police investigation.(1964)

*Miranda v Arizona- the accused person must be informed of their rights at the time of their arrest. (1966)

The Warren Court

1968*Turbulent year

*Vietnam- Tet Offensive

*Civil Right- MLK assassinated

*Election year- LBJ decides not to run, Robert F Kennedy assassinated after the California primary

*Chicago Democratic Convention- protests, riots

LBJ does not seek reelection in 1968