Ethan+O.+-+LBJ+-+FA09


 * Name:** Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908- January 22, 1973)
 * Political Party:** Democrat
 * Terms:** 2, 1963- 1965, 1965-1969 (assumed presidency after death of Kennedy)
 * Vice President:** None (1963-1965), Hubert Humphrey (1965-1969)

__**Presidential Evaluation**__ Lyndon B. Johnson had big shoes to fill. John F. Kennedy had been one of the most well respected presidents both overseas and at home, and his untimely death gave Johnson many messes to clean up, some of which he did well, some of which he didn't do so well. Johnson readily expanded civil rights, one of the great moves of the 60's, however Johnson escalated the conflict in Vietnam into a full blown mess. For these actions, coupled with others, Johnson receives a C+ as president.

Johnson's main goal when he assumed office was pushed on him by the Democratic Party- the Great Society. Many of these were domestic reforms left over from Kennedy's New Frontier plan. Two of these reforms were the elimination of poverty and the elimination of racial injustice. Johnson made great strides in the elimination of racial injustice, appointing Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to ever go on the Supreme Court. He also passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which eliminated segregation of public accommodations and job discrimination. Johnson controversially tried to help poverty with his slightly-effects Office of Economic Opportunity, which helped better the poor. The Great Society also helped education and medical care, with the passing of Medicare and Medicaid. The Great Society is said to have a scope as large as that of the New Deal, however they covered extremely different areas.

Johnson and Congress had a very good relationship. In 1964, Johnson was able to sweep in a large Democratic majority on his popular coattails. With this Congress, Johnson passed Medicare and Medicaid, as well as the Voting Rights Act, which gave more African Americans opportunity to vote. Johnson was able to still keep a Democratic Congress majority in 1966 midterm elections, despite large losses. However these losses cut Great Society programs short of completion, for Democrats no longer had a super-majority.

The most positive outcome of the Johnson administration were the great strides Johnson took in promoting Civil Rights throughout the United States. The 60's were a decade of much turmoil, and Johnson was able to help this to some extent by promoting civil rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had some of the farthest reaching effects seen by one bill. It invalidated the Jim Crow Laws of the Southern states, prohibited segregation and discrimination in public facilities, government, and employment. This act also asserted the power of the 14th and 15th amendments. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 gave more African Americans opportunity to vote, part of his 15th amendment assertion. These strides were great, and Johnson also made smaller strides, such as those for minority language speakers, and other groups. These actions are some of the greatest of the time, and were much needed.

The most negative decisions made by Johnson were those concerning the Vietnam War. Johnson was left over with the war Kennedy did not finish, but even he couldn't finish it. He, in fact, made it worse. The War was not a war at all until Johnson took office. His Gulf of Tonkin Resolution allowed him to send troops in without Congressional approval. This was based on the false pretext that the Vietnam War was not a true war. Johnson clearly violated the Constitution with this Resolution, and his sending in of over 550,000 troops started our involvement in the ground war in Vietnam. Johnson also began to neglect his domestic policy to deal with Vietnam, and his lack of action at home drove down opinion polls even further than our involvement with Vietnam did. But Johnson kept fighting to defend his countries honor, and assert his belief in the Domino Theory. But regardless of what Johnson did the US could not win, and finally Johnson TRIED to make a peace agreement, but he could not even succeed in that. The Vietnam "War" was truly a complete failure of Johnson's and did not help him at all. It only increased inflation and nearly led us into wartime depression. Almost as bad as his decisions in the war was Johnson's out of control deficit spending and borrowing. Johnson put a ton of federal funds into trying to get his Great Society into motion, and while many acts succeeded, he spent more than they were worth. These were cut back in the Nixon and Ford administrations.

Johnson's fights for equal rights are still felt today, in the decreased racial tension in this nation. Many people know of the great Civil Rights strides Johnson took, regardless of whether they attribute it to Johnson or not. Johnson's spending influenced the cuts made by Nixon and Ford, and Reagan's first budget. Overall the domestic reforms made in the Great Society have had long-lasting effects, such as the still implemented Medicare and Medicaid.

Johnson's administration left positives and negatives on the country. Johnson reformed civil rights and medical care for all, which is certainly positive, however he left a hell of a mess in Vietnam for Nixon to finish up. Since his domestic policy was great, and his foreign policy terrible, Johnson's effects on this country were felt both ways, leaving us with the neutral grade of C+ for Johnson. He had the potential to be great, but screwed it up overseas with the Vietnam war.

Works Cited "American President: Lyndon B. Johnson." //Miller Center of Public Affairs- University of Virginia//. University of Virginia. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. . "Lydon Baines Johnson." //Wikipedia- the free encyclopedia//. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. +, 14 Dec. 2009. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. . "Lyndon B. Johson." //The White House//. The White House. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. .  "Lyndon Baines Johnson." //Spartacus Educational//. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. .