Michael+-+LBJ+-+SP11

 Lyndon Baines Johnson Democrat 22 November, 1963 - 20 January 1969 Hubert Humpher (1965-1969)

The United States is a nation based on governance by consent of the people. In the late 1960s, and early 1970s, when the Vietman war caused historically low support for the government, the President caught in the crossfire was Lyndon Johnson. Although his management of the Vietnam War left much of the American Population dissatisfied with the state of foreign affairs, President Johnson was successful in many political endeavors that were supported by the public, like increasing Civil Rights. Due to his lack of efficacy except in times of overwhelming public support, President Johnson is awarded a C+ grade.

During his campaign, President Johnson assured the American public that he would prevent escalation policies in Vietnam. But when faced with the reality of direct confrontation with North Vietnamese and the spread of Communism, President Johnson went against his campaign promises and spearheaded the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution to protect the South Vietnamese and escalate the war in Vietnam. Ultimately, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution did not accomplish it’s goals, largely because the American public did not support President Johnson’s executive decisions. The popular “Hippie Movement” and other outspoken pro-peace organizations openly criticized President Johnson’s management of the Vietnam War, and when faced with this criticism, Johnson’s administration was largely ineffective. President Johnson’s poor handling of foreign affairs in the face of public criticism is a large contributor to his low presidential rating.  With public support aligned against his foreign policy, President Johnson primarily focused on domestic issues. Johnson’s Great Society legislature advanced social reforms, increased racial equality with the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965, and aided the impoverished with increased Medicare and Medicaid coverage. Additionally, the Great Society legislature stressed environmental protection and consumerism with the passage of the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1966 and Water Quality Act of 1965. However, many of these programs like Medicare later proved to be only a temporary solution for an even more deep-seeded problem - problems that the United States are still addressing today.

In his 1964 State of the Union address, Johnson cited one of his goals as to “...replace [the poor’s] despair with unconditional war on poverty in America.” These promises were later fulfilled when the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 was passed, providing programs designed to target poverty through various methods, including vocational training with the Jobs Corps, increased college accessibility with the Work-Study program, and tutoring for disadvantaged high school students. Despite criticism of quasi-socialism, programs such as Medicare and Medicaid provided relief to the poor, a right which Johnson believed they were entitled to. To fulfill his promises of equal race rights made during his campaign, Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1965, barring discrimination in employment, hotels, and public facilities, and increased the power of the Attorney General to stop discrimination through prosecution.The passage of the Twenty-Fourth Amendement outlawing poll taxes was the culminating factor in President Johnson’s campaign for Civil Rights.

President Johnson’s relationship with Congress at the start of his term was quite strong, with early Great Society legislation and the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution being passed with little debate or opposition. With the support of Congress during a time of crisis, President Johnson received a rapid boost of confidence from the public, allowing him to continue passing legislation with little contention from either party. However, as resentment towards the Vietnam War became more public, Congress became increasingly resistant to President Johnson’s policies. However, President Johnson was unable to overcome the Congressional opposition and still be an effective President.

The most positive outcome from Johnson’s Presidency was clearly the Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed voting rights to vote regardless of race or color. This clearly served as a landmark bill, effectively ending the remnants of judicial racism from the “Old South”. The guarantee of equality and fair treatment was underscored by various other legislation passed by President Johnson including the Wholesome Meat Act of 1966 and The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1966.  Supporters of President Johnson may feel that his action (or lack thereof) were simply a response to public opinion, instead of motivated by it. But clearly, President Johnson’s lack of progress (or action) when faced with public criticism on his foreign policy shows a clear weakness as a leader, and in an inability to make executive decisions. However, President Johnson did not oppose the tides of social change rampant in the 1960’s and even used his Presidential powers to aid change. For these reasons, Johnson’s Presidency is awarded a grade of a C+, for general lack of character, mismanagement of foreign policy, and creations of a large quantity of Civil Rights policies, although some of them are still problematic today.

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Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas Andrew Bailey. //The American pageant: a history of the Republic//