...Unit Four The Great Society Johnson took the presidency at the death of the beloved Kennedy. As history often does, it repeated itself and showed the public was not ready or able to trust a president who was not voted into office. Lyndon B. Johnson took office and sworn to continue the liberal agenda of Kennedy and called for a “Great Society” to end poverty and racial injustice (pg. 146). The Great society was a set of domestic programs proposed or enacted in the United States on the initiative of Johnson. The two main goals of the Great Society social reforms were the elimination of poverty and of the racial injustice. New Major spending programs that addressed education, medical care, urban problems, and transportation were launched during this period. Civil Rights Act, Medicare, Housing and Urban Development, Elementary and Secondary Education Act were a few programs enacted with Johnsons Great Society. The Great Society in scope and sweep resembled the New Deal domestic agenda of Franklin Roosevelt, but differed sharply in types of programs. “Johnson’s political genius also ensured passage of the new civil rights laws, The Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave the federal government the power to sue to desegregate public accommodations and schools” (pg. 148). The law prohibited job discrimination based on race and encouraged the passing of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to sue to compliance. The Civil Rights act was the beginning of social change throughout...
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...The rate of the United States population falling below the poverty line was continually rising so the American society and President Lyndon B. Johnson knew action was needed which came right away through his Great Society plan. Through LBJ’s Great Society, in four years, his administration had been able to get seven and a half million people employed (Doc. 1). With more people employed, brough more of the American society making money which helps them stop living in poverty. By getting more Americans employed, making income, the United States saw in this same four year span around five and a half million homes constructed (Doc. 1). Starting in 1960 over the next decade’s time poverty rates saw a great decrease which was needed and a positive...
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...Harielys Jerez-Nolasco U.S. History Period 5 Mr.Rustigan 2 June 2015 Great Society Preceding the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, Democrat Lyndon B.Johnson was elected as the new President of the United States. Johnson had made his intentions clear when he addressed that it was time to “declare an unconditional war on poverty”, infusing his dreams under Kennedy’s legislative agenda. Although Congress did not approve for Kennedy’s tax bill that called for dramatic tax cuts for middle-class Americans, Johnson was able to add on the War on Poverty to the bill. He centralized his focus on poverty because as a young man he was able to witness how Mexican Americans were stricken with poverty.Confronted by the firsthand challenges, Lyndon...
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...10. Critically discuss the key features of the societies which lived at Mapungubwe and Great Zimbabwe. By Michael Steel Introduction: The kingdom of Great Zimbabwe has been the topic of numerous debates and research studies, as well as being a national monument that draws tourists from around the world to its destination as a result of the rich history of the area. Great Zimbabwe ruins dates back to the Iron Age and is situated near Masvingo in Zimbabwe, between the Limpopo and Zambezi River. “Zimbabwe” meaning “stone buildings” is derived from the Shona term “dzimba dzamabwe”, which refers to the stone walls that that surround houses and kraals in traditional Shona settlements, such as Great Zimbabwe. It was of popular belief amongst historians that Great Zimbabwe was the first site in southern Africa in which a community was socially structured and sophisticated, therefore being considered the most complex of societies in precolonial southern Africa.However, a more recent discovery in 1932 found that a structured society preceded that of Great Zimbabwe by about a century in the Limpopo basin, an area known as the Mapungubwe. It is also popularly considered amongst historians that the people of the Mapungubwe area were in fact the ancestors of those who built the kingdom of Great Zimbabwe. Archaeological evidence indicates the earliest findings of class distinction through architecture and spatial arrangements, hence social structure, are found in the area of Mapungubwe...
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...‘Great rhetoric’ has the potential of impacting the reception of the perspectives, transforming society. Keating’s universal values significantly emphasise bridging the gap. He conveys the need to take responsibility for past discriminations, encouraging open and hopeful beliefs of reconciliation as opposed to assigning guilt. In taking responsibility, he proposes ideas into transforming the attitudes of Australians into improving their national identity by becoming one with the Indigenous people. “If we improve the living conditions… If we raise the standard by 20%... If we open one door others will follow.” The first steps in influencing people into transforming society, Keating uses anaphora in emphasizing that by transforming society in...
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...sought to improve the way of life for Americans facing financial hardship. In Roosevelt's regime during the Great Depression in the 1930s, as much of 1/4 of the nation was unemployed. Johnson sought to, "end poverty in our time," calling it a national disgrace that nearly one fifth of all Americans were living in poverty, hidden away in urban ghettos, labor camps, and rural areas like Indian Reservations. (Henretta. 850) Both programs sought to bring about economic and social improvements and each respectively carried a great deal of change in the nations landscape. As Johnson was set out to wage a war on poverty, his program was known to this day as the, "Great Society." What strengths did the Great Society offer that did not the same for Roosvelt's New Deal? The express discussion will be an analytical comparison of both respective programs and where Lyndon Johnson's, "Great...
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...The New Deal and the Great Society were two of the most compelling political strategies introduced by a president. Both policies were useful in boosting the economy, cleaning the environment, and in providing equality among the American people. The Great depression was nothing less than a tragedy; the nation was desperately searching for brighter days. During a period of economic crisis, where unemployment rates were at an all time high and thousands of families were left homeless, the nation demanded a radical change and for someone to take charge and save the country. Franklin Delano Roosevelt seemed to be the man with all the answers and the change desired by the American population. Roosevelt was born into a wealthy family in 1882. He was well educated and attended top schools such as Harvard College and Columbia Law School. He was fascinated with politics and therefore, decided early on to follow the political footsteps of his distant cousin President Theodore Roosevelt. His first political adventure was the New York legislature in 1910, where he ran as a Democratic progressive (Schaller 885) Roosevelt wedded his fifth cousin Eleanor, and together they had six children. In 1918, Eleanor discovered that her significant other was engaging in extramarital relations with her social secretary....
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...Lyndon B. Johnson came into office as a former vice president to the president, John F. Kennedy, when John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Following Lyndon B. Johnson's inauguration, this new president created the “Great Society”; characterized as an era of programs aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice, something the United States had been struggling with for some time. This Great Society was only “part of his legacy” though, and led to an increased dependency on government assistance. Although Johnson created the Great Society, the Vietnam War was an “elephant” to his presidency, leading me to remember Lyndon B. Johnson as a dishonest and bad president. The Vietnam War was a major part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s...
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...The Great Society Lost history, former president placed in between Presidents Kennedy and Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson. If one takes a deeper look into his presidency however, you will find he proposed a grand domestic policy which would revitalize America and truly create a “Great Society.” At the University of Michigan on May 22, 1964 Johnson first outlined his “Great Society. Speaking to the thousands of graduates in attendance, Johnson used his speech to explain a three-pronged plan in which America’s youth would rise up and tackle the mounting problems that the nation was facing. He was addressing not only the graduates in attendance but also the youth all across the country and the speech sent a notice to the establishment that the status...
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...The effect that The Great Depression had on the American people was drastic; it drew many of them to do things they never would have done. Families were torn apart because they could not afford to feed their children, many were forced to send them away to work, or to go live with other family members. The declaration of bankruptcy was very common during this time; stock brokers in the New York Stock Exchange lost lots of money, hurting millions of Americans. Millions in poverty caused a big change in industry. Clothes were now being made to last longer, and cars, trains, and airplanes were becoming more efficient. The Great Depression from 1929 to 1939 negatively affected American society, children and economy. Society was constantly changing...
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...Define Great Society. How successful was it? Provide at least two examples and explain. Lyndon B Johnson had a vision of the possibilities of reform. These reform policies were referred to as the “Great Society”. “The Great Society was a more effective expansion reform program which addressed taxes, ensured civil rights, aided public education, focused on eliminating poverty, and provided medicine to the elderly” (Ohanessian 4/24/18). Throughout his various reform policies, he proved to be an effective leader. “Though less polished, Johnson was a more effective political leader than Kennedy and brought his own special skills and visions to the presidency” (Nash 648). Johnson often had manipulative tendencies which aided him while pushing...
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...What led Society to the Great War? Many would say that the assassination of Duke Franz Ferdinand was the tipping point that caused the First World War. However, it is not the only reason why the Great War turned into such a huge part of human history. There were many things that built up to the war, some historians would say that if the assassination never took place, the war would have happened anyway. The secret alliances between countries made it clear to historians that these countries didn’t exactly trust each other. Their politicians and elite all only new the logic of war according to an article published by the Academic Council on the United Nations System. (Ettmayer). Looking at what the oldest son of the Kaiser thought of war, from...
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...What Makes a Society Great – The Roman Empire as Example It is important to study the characteristics of a great society. Throughout history, there have been many societies that were great and many that were failures. In order to advance mankind and countries today, lessons can be learned from the past. There are many characteristics that are present in great societies. However, some of these qualities are more important than others. The three main characteristics that make a society great are a high quality of life, economic prosperity, and democracy. This essay explains why these three characteristics can make a society great and illustrates these qualities using the example of the Roman Empire. Quality of Life and Basic Needs It is extremely important for a society to meet the essential needs of all citizens and to provide a good quality of life. According to Randy Schutt in Inciting Democracy, in a good society, every person would have their basic human needs met (14). Basic human needs include: air, water, food, clothing, shelter, and safety from harm. A good quality of life includes meeting all basic human needs and also involves living an enjoyable life. According to Panos Mourdoukoutas and Abraham Stefanidis, “quality of life allows people to enjoy their wealth, advancing their personal and public lives.” Roman Empire Example For citizens in the Roman Empire, the quality of life was high and all basic human needs were met. Rome offered various entertainments for...
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...The Great Depression In the beginning of the book “The Making of Economic Society,” Heilbronner (2012) explains that the market system is “a complex mode of organizing society” (p. 12). But, it is until chapter six that the author examines how complex this mode can be. In this chapter some of the limitations of the market system and the relation to the Great Depression are noted. The Great Depression was not caused by one single event. It was caused by unstable credit systems, a deterioration of farm purchasing power, technological unemployment, and a bad distribution of income. But, most interesting is the significant impact of the Great Depression, which I believe is that it changed the relationship between government and economics and politics. I believe that there were a series of events that triggered the Great Depression. A shift in society’s attitudes perhaps was an invisible trigger. During the boom of the stock market many everyday people were enticed to use all their savings to invest in the stock market. Society’s attitudes changed to a “get-rich-quick” attitude. In the meantime, according to the author there were signs of a weak economy. For example, unemployment was rising, residential construction falling, less investment in saving accounts, and wages had decreased. Perhaps then, when these facts were finally visible that is when the Great Crash was triggered. I find it interesting though that the author notes that “no one knows exactly what final event was...
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...Today America is a consumeristic society, but this very American idea of materialism started and changed American Lifestyle 1920’s. Industry was exploding and new innovations such as credit, shopping malls, refrigerator, vacuum cleaners, and radio. These inventions were the “must have” items that everyone was now required to own. But this idea of needing more and not worrying about the consequences, led to the Great Depression, one of the hardest economic times in American history. This idea of mass consumerism and materialism is also apparent in The Great Gatsby. Gatsby’s character was largely influenced by his wealth and his need for more. Illustrated by Gatsby’s need for Daisy Buchanan that resulted in his decline and ultimately his death....
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