Great Society

The Great Society was a set of domestic programs in the United States initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 and 1965. Its main goal was the total elimination of poverty and racial injustice in the country. Johnson first used the phrase in a May 7, 1964, speech at Ohio University.^[1] New and major federal programs addressing civil rights, education, medical care, urban problems, rural poverty, and transportation were launched during this period. In scope and sweep, the Great Society resembled the 1930s New Deal of fellow Democratic president Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Some Great Society initiatives were derived from New Frontier proposals which had stalled during the Kennedy administration.^[2] Johnson's success depended on his skills of persuasion and the Democratic landslide victory in the 1964 elections, which brought many new liberals into Congress and made the House of Representatives of 1965 the most liberal House since 1938.^[3][2] In the 88th Congress, there was an estimated 56 liberals and 44 conservatives in the Senate, and 224 liberals and 211 conservatives in the House. In the 89th Congress, by contrast, it was estimated that there were 59 liberals and 41 conservatives in the Senate, and 267 liberals and 168 conservatives in the House.^[4]

The core programs of the Great Society focused on a "war on poverty" which increased federal involvement in education, employment, and healthcare. The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 created a Job Corps and Volunteers in Service to America; the Food Stamp Act of 1964 provided low-income people assistance in purchasing food; the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 authorized federal expenditure on schools with low-income students; and the Social Security Amendments of 1965 created Medicaid, which funds some medical costs for low-income individuals, and Medicare, a health insurance program for people aged 65 and over. Measures designed to end racial injustice included the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited racial segregation in schools, public spaces, and workplaces; the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which ensured that minorities could exercise their right to vote; the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which abolished quotas based on national origin and placed a greater emphasis on skills and links to U.S. citizens; and the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which prohibited housing discrimination. Additional projects included the National Endowment for the Arts; consumer protection measures; the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965, which expanded the federal housing program; the Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act of 1965, which limited motor vehicle emissions; and the National Trails System Act of 1968, which created a system of hiking trails.

Many of the Great Society projects were opposed by Republicans, who objected to what they considered "government handouts". Johnson's popularity declined as he committed more troops to the Vietnam War, which drew on resources that could have been directed toward the Great Society. Some projects were expanded under the administrations of Republican presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford while others were dismantled, and funding for many were cut by Ronald Reagan.^[5] From 1963 to 1970, the portion of Americans living below the poverty line declined from 22.2 to 12.6 percent.