Sarah+-+LBJ+-+SP09

=Lyndon B. Johnson =

** Evaluation: **
====Lyndon Johnson became president when the country was not in very good shape. Many people had no jobs, and segregation in America was almost everywhere. Johnson instituted many laws and acts to help the country. For his presidency, Johnson deserves a B. ====

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When Johnson became president, he had many goals for the country. One of his main goals was to move America into a "Great Society." The Great Society included the war on poverty, the civil rights issue, Medicare and Medicade, and protecting the environment. President Johnson wanted to end poverty, so he passed the Economic Opportunity Act, which created the Office of Economic Opportunity. Under both of these programs, smaller programs like VISTA and the Work-Study programs were created. All of these programs were aimed at creating jobs for people. Johnson also wanted to end racial segregation. His goal was to pass a law that made segregation illegal. His main goal in enacting Medicare and Medicade was to give medical insurance to the elderly and provide medical benefits for poor people. Johnson was also concerned about the environment. He passed the Water Quality Act and the Clean Water Restoration Act in 1965 and 1966. These two acts were aimed at making the drinking water/regular water safer. The Clean Air Act and the Air Quality Act were also passed under Johnson. These acts allowed states to enforce air quality standards. Johnson also wanted to get America more involved with the Vietnam War, which made many Americans angry. =====

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Overall, Johnson had a good relationship with Congress due to the large Democratic majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. During his presidency, Johnson passed many acts with the help of Congress. Acts enforcing standards on the air and the water were passed. The Civil Rights act was also passed, banning racial segregation in public places. The Fair Packaging and Label Act, National Traffic Safety Act, Highway Safety Act, and the Wholesome Meat Act were all passed during his presidency. In order for all of these acts to get passed, Congress and the president had to get along, which they did. When Johson wanted to escalate American involvment in the Vietnam war, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Act, which gave Johnson the authority to take all neccessary actions to "repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." =====

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The action that had the most positive outcome was the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Up until this time, it was legal for racial segregation to be in public places such as bathrooms and restaurants. This act banned all segregation in all public places. This act included the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed literacy tests. This resulted in more minorities voting. The Civil Rights Act also made the punishment for enforcing segregation much higher and stricter. The Civil Rights act is still in use today. =====

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The action that had the worst outcome was Johnson's decision to become more involved in the Vietnam War. The first time that Johnson sent more troops over to Vietnam marked the first year of eight more years in Vietnam. By 1967, troops in Vietnam numbered almost half a million. This caused many unneccessary deaths and injuries. Back in America, violent riots and strikes were on the rise. People protested against the war, and also against their fathers, husbands, and boys getting sent into the war. Demonstraters rioted against police in the streets, and some were put in jail. The North/Viet Cong would not talk peace until Johnson stopped bombing in the North. Johnson did not stop bombing until almost the end of his term, which resulted in more unneccessary fighting. =====

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The action that influenced future presidents the most was Johnson's idea for the "Great Society." Many of these programs/acts are still in use today. For example, the Civil Rights act is still in use. Segregation is not allowed in public places, and people who try to enforce it are punished. Also, the Voting Rights act is still in use, and many people are allowed to vote because of this act. Medicare and Medicade are still used by millions of people. Elderly and less fortunate people need help, and these programs provide that help. =====

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The country was in much better condition when Johnson left office. However, many people were still angry at the fact that he increased American influence in the Vietnam war. Johnson created many laws that helped to create jobs and ban segregation in public places. Johnson deserves the letter grade of a B for his presidency. =====


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