8.9: The Great Society

8.9: Explain the causes and effects of continuing policy debates about the role of the federal government over time.

In the last set of notes, we talked about the Vietnam War and now, we’re going to be talking about the Great Society in the United States!

The War on Poverty

During the 1960s, poverty was a major problem in the United States, brought to national attention by the best-selling book The Other America. This book revealed that 40 million Americans were living in poverty in the country. As a result, LBJ declared a war on poverty in 1964. Because he was a Democrat and both houses of Congress had a Democratic majority, he was able to pass legislation against poverty with little opposition. He created the Office of Economic Opportunity, which sponsored self-help programs for the poor. This included the Head Start program for preschoolers, literacy programs, and vocational training. However, the high cost of the Vietnam War prevented him from fully dedicating resources to fighting poverty.

The Great Society

But even then, he still launched many programs under the Great Society. Many of these were based on what Roosevelt had done previously in his New Deal.

  • Medicare and Medicaid: Provided health insurance to Americans over 65 and health insurance to those in poverty

  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act: Provided more than $1 billion in federal aid to school districts

  • Food Stamp Act: Gave food stamps to the poor

  • National Foundation of Arts and Humanities: Provided federal funding for the arts and creative projects

  • Higher Education Act: Provided federal scholarships for higher education

  • Child Nutrition Act: Provided breakfasts in schools

In November of 1963, JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, by Lee Harvey Oswald. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson became President in his place. While LBJ spent a decent chunk of his presidency escalating the Vietnam War and getting the United States involved in it, he also did a lot to improve American society back home through a series of programs called the Great Society.