Sean+M.+-+LBJ+-+FA09

//****// Born: //**// August 27, 1908 near Johnson City, Texas
 * // Lyndon B. Johnson
 * Died:** January 22, 1973 near Johnson City, Texas
 * Terms:** November 22, 1963 to January 20, 1969
 * Political Party:** Democrat
 * Vice President:** Hubert H. Humphrey

Lyndon B. Johnson was thrust into power unexpectedly after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Despite his unpreparedness Johnson did an overall good job in ruling the country. His reforms in poverty and civil rights were monumental but his role in the increased involvement of America in the Vietnam War is definitely a negative aspect of the presidency. Because of the immense strides in reform and environmental protection Johnson deserves a B-. The main thing detracting from his grade is the Vietnam War.

Lyndon B. Johnson entered his presidency with one goal: to create ‘The Great Society.’ He outlined this society in a commencement address at the University of Michigan in 1964. The overall idea was that America had an extremely opportunity to became an extremely rich and powerful society. It is arguable that America had already obtained this, especially with their powerful showing in WWII but Johnson was moving to address issues not internationally but in America itself. The main issues he wished to address were Civil Rights and poverty. Johnson did an excellent job at completing his goals because he, in a sense, waged wars against these issues. On the issue of Poverty the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 was passed. This act did many things for the impoverished in America. First it provided training to disadvantaged youth. Following this it created the Volunteers in Service to America also known as VISTA which enlisted volunteers to help teach and work in ghettos. Other organizations created by the act include: The Work Experience Program, the Work-Study Program, and the Community Action Program. These different antipoverty programs provided jobs to students from low-income families, provided child day-care programs and instituted the instruction of disadvantaged preschoolers. On the issue of Civil Rights Johnson also made huge strides. The Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968 were passed. These Acts were meant to stop discrimination in employment, hotels, restaurants and other public places. On top of this the acts stopped discrimination in home buying and selling. The final aspect of the Acts was that they created stricter penalties for civil rights violations and allowed the Attorney General to initiate desegregation suits. Possibly Johnson’s proudest achievement was the passing of The Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Act forbade discriminatory literacy tests and allowed the government to promote voter registration. The overall result was a large increase in minority voting.

If the number of laws passed by Congress and Johnson are any indication of their relationship it was a good one. Besides the Acts listed above Johnson passed many more laws mostly having to do with environmental protection and consumerism. Under the topic of Environmental Protection the Water Quality Act of 1965 was the first law passed. The law required states to make standards for the quality of their water. Those standards then had to be approved by the federal Interior Department. Next, the Clean Water Restoration Act of 1966, which provided federal funds to states so that they could make sewage treatment plants. Finally the Clean Air Act of 1965 and the Air Quality Act of 1967 were passed. They worked to set auto emission standards and set up an advisory board which assisted states in the creation of air quality standards. Under consumerism the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1965 was the first passed. It required that the contents and net quantity of the container be labeled. Next the National Traffic Safety Act of 1966 and the Highway Safety Act of 1966 helped establish safety standards of cars and highways. The last consumerism law passed was the Wholesale Meat Act of1967. The law simply extended the federal meat inspection policies already instated. In addition to these numerous laws the 24th and 25th Amendments were passed. The 24th outlawed poll taxes and the 25th allowed presidents to appoint candidates to fill a vacancy in the vice presidency. The nomination only had to be approved by Congress. Overall the sheer number of laws passed is quite impressive and it shows that Congress and Johnson had an excellent relationship.

The most negative part of Johnson’s presidency was the Vietnam War. Truthfully speaking it can’t be considered only the fault of Johnson as he wasn’t the person who initiated the United States involvement in the war. Johnson simply increased America’s involvement. Johnson also had reasoning behind his actions. American ships were being attacked and retaliation was necessary. Following this and the passing of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Johnson began to dispatch large numbers of US troops. The number reached its peak in 1968 at 550,000. There is no doubt that Johnson was fighting for a noble cause but the war had very little support in America the casualties were quite high. Overall the war may have been needed but because it was neither successful nor supported it should definitely be considered negative.

The most positive aspect of the presidency would be the strides in Civil Rights. With the abolishment of discrimination in so many areas the rights and treatment of African Americans would never be the same. In truth the Acts caused riots and even death, most notably the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., but because of the positive results the measures taken have an extremely positive connotation. The results of these actions probably seemed horrible at the time but all those hardships have created: the near end of racism.

Lyndon B. Johnson is not one of America’s most remembered president at least when one considers the popularity of men like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln but many of the actions he took are remembered even if people don’t realize it. The strides taken by Johnson in regards to Civil Rights are extremely monumental and are probably Johnson’s most lasting and positive actions. Although Johnson’s measures for Civil Rights are most notable his actions against Poverty and for Consumerism and Environmental Protection should not be overlooked. Nearly all the laws passed in this time period had an extremely lasting and important effect on America and that is quite an impressive achievement.

In conclusion Lyndon Johnson was a fantastic president. The results of his actions in reform of many kinds are still seen today. If not for the Vietnam War one would be hard pressed to find something wrong with this presidency. It is only because of that war that Johnson deserves a B- rather then and A. //


 * //Sources:

//**"Lyndon B. Johnson." //POTUS//. Web. 24 Sep 2009. .

William A. Degregorio,. //The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents//. 6th Edition. Fort Lee: Barricade Books Inc., 2005. Print.