Cameron+M.+-+LBJ+-+FA09

=LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON = = = Death: January 22, 1973 near Stonewall, Texas Political party: Democratic Terms: November 22, 1963 - January 20, 1969 Vice President: Hubert H. Humphrey**
 * Birth: August 27, 1908 near Johnson City, Texas

Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as presidency following the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Johnson's Decisions were based on John F. Kennedy’s policies as he pushed for tax cuts Kennedy had wanted and a civil rights bill. Johnson's Great Society program helped pass much legislation such as, Medicare, the Civil rights acts of 1964 and 1968, and legislation to help poverty stricken people in the United States. Johnson however did face one problem during his presidency; the Vietnam war. Johnson struggled with the war and presumed it was unwinable. The war cost Johnson his popularity as he did not run for another term after 1969. Overall Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration helped the nation become a greater society which is why he deserves a B for his efforts in Civil rights, the war on poverty, education funding and Medicare. Lyndon B. Johnson’s goals were mostly based off of John F. Kennedy’s goals of tax cuts and a civil rights bill. LBJ had much success in passing legislation to achieve his goals as he had influence over congress as the majority was Democrat. Johnson’s Great society program reached these goals and created new ones such as Medicare for people sixty five and older, new spending programs for education, transportation, and urban problems. Johnson achieved the goal of tax cuts when in February of 1964 he cut taxes by 20% from 91% to 71%. Next he passed the Civil rights acts of 1964 and later 1968 to ensure anti-discrimination and equal treatment of blacks. Johnson also enacted the Social Security act of 1965 which added his Medicare program, and he passed many acts to help the poverty stricken work up in society. These acts were all based on Johnson’s goals to create a better society and to end poverty, discrimination against blacks and ensure equality. All most all of Johnson’s goals were achieved during his presidency and all had a lasting effect on the nation. Johnson had a fairly well relationship with congress as most of his goals were achieved with the help of congress. During his first term there was a majority in both the Senate and the House, with 67 Democrats to 33 Republicans in the senate and 258 Democrats to 176 Republicans in the House. During his second Term the Democrats also had the majority with 68 Democrats to 32 Republicans in the Senate and 295 Democrats to 140 Republicans in the House. This majority during both of Johnson’s terms enabled him to pass much of what he wanted to. This showed with the passing of the Civil rights acts which ended segregation and discrimination in the work place, the Economic Opportunity act of 1964 which created the office of Economic Opportunity to oversee a variety of community-based antipoverty programs and lead to great advancements of giving poor people the chance to work their way up in society, the Social Security act of 1965 which provided the Medicare Johnson wanted, and the acts like the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to fund the education systems of the states which worked to give schools over one billion dollars in spending for needed supplies and to start special education programs to help children in low income families, which also helped the war on poverty. All of these acts contributed of Johnson’s Great society and lead to the nation becoming an equal and less discriminatory nation. Johnson’s influence in congress helped the nation work towards these goals. The most positive outcome of the Johnson administration would have to be his acts to help civil rights and end poverty. The civil rights acts of 1964 and 1968 forbade discrimination in the workforce and segregation in public places like schools and the workplace. This was a future changing act that lead to less discrimination against blacks in the workplace and in society. Blacks were helped a lot by these acts as they had a more equal opportunity to get jobs and work their way up in society. It not only helped blacks but also it extended protection of Native Americans on Indian reservations. This changed America from being a discriminatory country that it had been for well over two hundred years to working its way to become an equal society with opportunities available for everyone whether black or white, rich or poor. Johnson's war on poverty proved to be a success as well to create better opportunities for the poverty stricken. With the Economic opportunity act of 1964 the office of economic opportunity was created and was used to oversee community based anti poverty programs. This lead to the programs to provide job training and even education for the poor to get them on their way to work their way up in society. These programs also worked to give youths working experience and encouragement to stay in school so they could take there lives to the next level and hopefully gain prosperity. Programs like the model cities program helped rebuild the poor districts of cities to make it more sanitary and healthy to live in these areas. Johnson’s Great society was on its way with his persistence to achieve civil rights for blacks with the Civil rights acts and to help the poverty stricken and ultimately his goal was to help these people to getting an equal chance as any other American to gain prosperity and live a rich life. One of the most negative outcomes of the Johnson Administration would have to be the war in Vietnam. Johnson focused on building up the military when he became president, even though many Americans wanted peace in Vietnam at the time, Johnson believed peace was unreachable and if the United States did not build up its military force and win the war the Communist threat of Vietnam would spread through southeast asia and the communist threat would become larger and more powerful than it was before. But this decision of enlargining the United States army was a negative for the death rates continued to pile up dramatically and at the end of Johnsons presidency the casualties numbered much greater than when he became president. The War waged on for six more years after Johnson left office and Johnson's actions of not declaring peace caused this to happen. Most of all of the legislation passed by the Johnson administration had a lasting effect on the nation, but the most important would have to be the Civil rights acts of 1964 and 1968. These acts helped define the African American population for who they are today. They had been fighting for their full rights since after the civil war and in 1964 Johnson helped them move a step closer to equality by making it illegal to discriminate in the workplace and ending segregation in public places. Johnson helped the African American society have the chance to work their way up in prosperity without the hardships of discrimination and the fact that they would not get hired just because of their skin color. Another lasting act by the Johnson administration would have to be the Medicare amendment to social security in the 1965 Social Security Act. This act made available health care for those people sixty five years and older. This helped people that were retired that no longer got health care insurance, be able to get healthcare and other benefits. All of these acts the Johnson administration passed had a lasting effect on the nation by creating the steps for the United States to become an equal nation where everyone got the same rights and coverage. Even though faced with the war in Vietnam, the United States was better off at the end of Lyndon B. Johnsons presidency. There had been much improvements of the nation during his presidency with healthcare, civil rights, educational funding and the war on poverty. All of these things progressed the United States to become a more equal nation, with opportunities for everyone, and ensuring that they could move upward in society and Johnsons administration had ensured all of this. Johnson had helped people get equal opportunities and by doing this the nation could prosper and eventually become “The Great Society”. "American President: Lyndon Baines Johnson: A Life in Brief." //Miller Center of Public Affairs//. Miller center University of Virginia. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. . "American President: Lyndon Baines Johnson." //Miller Center of Public Affairs//. Miller Center University of Virginia. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. . Berg, Delvin R. "Biography - Lyndon B. Johnson." //Home - Lyndon B. Johnson//. Lyndon B. Johnson online Museum. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. . "Lyndon B. Johnson |." //The White House//. United States Government. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. . Smith, Carter. __Presidents Every Question Answered.__ Irvington, New York: Hylas publishing, 2004.
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