Explorations In Leadership
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KelsiMauro.pptxLyndon B Johnson Changes: Using Government to help Americans
Kelsi Mauro ITGS 400
Lyndon B. Johnson was the 36th President of America
(President, 2017)
Background
Lyndon B. Johnson U.S. president from 1963-1969
His political career is of a Congressman, Senator, Vice President then President (Karatzas, 2016)
Lyndon B. Johnson’s project as president was to create a “great society” and lead changes with helping the poverty issues in America (Brown-Collier, 1998)
Lyndon B. Johnson’s work in this problem area did not necessarily go as scheduled or planned because there was a lot of push back for the programs as well as a lot of negativity toward the programs (Mclay, 1966)
Rationale
Poverty remains a modern-day problem needing serious attention. Johnson’s efforts to address America’s poverty issues, and extending freedom, peace, and improvement to all are an inspiration to us today.
Thesis statement
Lyndon B. Johnson created anti-poverty actions through government with the hope of leading to a brighter future for America.
Aim
This review of literature aims to provide key ways in which Lyndon Johnson impacted society; led the country to a better understanding of what it means to be an American; and used his compassion for the poor to guide policy decisions.
An Artist’s Take on the President
(Lyndon B. Johnson caricature)
Main Points
Lyndon Johnson’s war on poverty
Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society
Some failures and push back
War on Poverty
From the 1960’s President Johnson addressed poverty. Mclay (1966) described the following
Lyndon Johnson accomplished changes in policy regarding Medicare, education, and civil rights.
Support for the “war on poverty” included the Economic Opportunity Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
The War on Poverty was a part of President Johnson’s vision for a Great Society
In the campaign against poverty, Johnson addressed racism issues
War on Poverty (cont.)
Lyndon Johnson had a personal concern and care for American minorities recognizing the hardships they faced. Karatzas (2016) explained the following:
Lyndon Johnson became personally aware of poor Americans through his knowledge as a teacher in Texas.
Lyndon Johnson taught Mexican- American children who were poor and hungry. His compassion extended to them, and he wanted to help them in their hardship.
Johnson held civil rights assemblies for black Americans, and in 1964 he passed a Civil Rights Act that was “one of the most important parts of his life”.
His leadership was shown in how he protected the rights of people.
Lyndon Johnson was known as a man of the people.
(The New York Times, 2013)
War on Poverty (cont.)
In Lyndon B Johnson’s (2017) addresses to Congress, he supported the following:
Democracy and freedom applying to people of all religions and colors.
Seeking to do right; to right the wrongs of the past; and to promote justice as well as equal rights for all.
Promoting freedom for oppressed populations.
Recognizing the basic democratic right of all to choose their leaders.
“I want to be a president… that helps the poor… protects voting rights”, spreads love, peace, equality, and more (Johnson, 2017, p.1).
Lyndon B. Johnson is supporting African American freedoms
(Lyndon B Johnson Voting Rights Act)
Johnson’s Great Society
Johnson’s vision for a Great Society led to societal changes including programs to enhance society. Brown-Collier (1998) described:
A vision for a Great Society in which everyone enjoys civil rights.
Education is the one important way to get the poor out of poverty.
“The rush of legislation proposed by Johnson and negotiated through Congress included programs for consumer protection, environmental protection, education and training, civil rights (including voting rights), health care, urban development, employment programs and income supplements. All of these programs were meant to create what Johnson viewed as the Great Society” (p. 1)
Lyndon B. Johnson at Work on Policy Issues
(MassLive, 2019)
Johnson’s Great Society (cont.)
Johnson put together an Economic Opportunity Act. The president stated it’s for progress, effort and opportunity.
Johnson’s goal is to combating disease and ignorance to create a great society (Torternsson, 2013)
Community Action Agencies were implemented as not-for-profit ways to make a better society by solving problems on the inside with this Community Action
Johnson’s Great Society (cont.)
Johnson was an upright individual concerned about the freedoms of black Americans.
He promoted eliminating injustice and encouraging peace and hope for oppressed societies.
He promoted civil rights for all as seen in his speech about the Civil Rights Act (1964). View video at the following link:
Johnson’s Great Society (cont.)
After 37 years of experience in politics by being first a Congressman, then being a Senator, Vice President, and President, Lyndon B. Johnson announced that he would not be accepting the second term offer.
Johnson discussed working toward “unity of the people” (C-Span, 1968)
He promoted hope and peace as a priority factor to all Americans.
View video at the following link,
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4720568/president-lyndon-johnsons-announcement-run-reelection
Some Failures and Government Push Back
President Johnson made great changes, but there were some setbacks and failures. Torternsson (2013) explained the following:
There was general push back for his actions from Congress, yet he succeeded in implementing many positive changes.
Some programs became corrupt. Politicians referred to the war on poverty as a failure, claiming that the government had expanded too far, and tried to do too much
President Reagan said “We had a war on poverty; poverty won” (paragraph 11)
Conclusion
President Lyndon B. Johnson had a vision for a “Great Society”. He addressed the “War on Poverty”. He was successful in areas of freedoms and programs for the poor culture. He had some pushback. Poverty is still, today, a problem. With the leadership the president gave, we can continue his good work in helping the vulnerable.
References
Brown-Collier, E. K. (1998). Johnson's Great Society: Its legacy in the 1990s.
Review of Social Economy, 56(3), 259–276.
C-Span. (2018). President Lyndon Johnson Address to the Nation [Video]. Retrieved 21 May 2021, from https://www.c- span.org/video/?c4720568/president- lyndon-johnsons-announcement- run-reelection.
References
Johnson Civil Rights Act 1964. (n.d.). History.com [Video] https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=johnson+civil+rights+act+1964&&v iew =detail&mid=6DB047186E7DEB5678066DB047186E7DEB567806&&FO RM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Djohnson%2Bcivil%2Bright s%2Bact%2B1964%26vi.
Johnson, L. B. (2017). Lyndon B. Johnson Address to Congress, We Shall Overcome. 1.Great Neck Publishing United States of America.
Karatzas, K. D. (2016). Lyndon B. Johnson and the Civil Right Act of 1964. Science Journal, 25–33.
References
Lyndon B. Johnson caricature. (2021). [Image]. https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=wI1yWePk&id=4A6C1E796458D66879AD0758F9293996440902BF&thid=OIP.wI1yWePkGUN3Va7kNNrwpgAAAA&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fi.pinimg.com%2foriginals%2fed%2fec%2ff5%2fedecf5233c199ad486839c49a4886745.jpg&cdnurl=https%3a%2f%2fth.bing.com%2fth%2fid%2fRc08d7259e3e419437755aee434daf0a6%3frik%3dvwIJRJY5KflYBw%26pid%3dImgRaw&exph=597&expw=400&q=President+Lyndon+Johnson+Cartoon&simid=607995424493369712&ck=E889682D4C0C2EF676F09B76CF6AF5B6&selectedIndex=4&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0.
References
Lyndon B Johnson Voting Rights Act. (2018). [Image]. Retrieved 30 May 2021, from https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=Q8dhovVT&id=6CD7EB99AC14E6B798F534E07EE27AD686CF7F28&thid=OIP.Q8dhovVTnGQDVlYZ4FDtxgHaEQ&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fcdn.aarp.net%2fcontent%2fdam%2faarp%2fpolitics%2fevents-and-history%2f2015-07%2f1140-voting-rights-A-Law-at-Last-5.imgcache.rev3104be58fad912372cffe7606263d3c2.web.jpg&cdnurl=https%3a%2f%2fth.bing.com%2fth%2fid%2fR43c761a2f5539c6403565619e050edc6%3frik%3dKH%252fPhtZ64n7gNA%26pid%3dImgRaw&exph=655&expw=1140&q=lyndon+b+johnson+black+rights&simid=608022203617606319&ck=970F8E545FB7E112AF3455636C7FC7EB&selectedIndex=4&qpvt=lyndon+b+johnson+black+rights&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0.
References
MassLive. (2019). War on Poverty [Image]. https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=NoLrXfdt&id=6C5AF22AEC236699350779077DD26104FBD0F9D9&thid=OIP.NoLrXfdtvVEjcA2hOqGHmQHaFB&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fth.bing.com%2fth%2fid%2fR3682eb5df76dbd5123700da13aa18799%3frik%3d2fnQ%252bwRh0n0HeQ%26riu%3dhttp%253a%252f%252fmedia.masslive.com%252fbreakingnews%252fphoto%252f2015%252f01%252f09%252flyndon-johnson-3d6425acbc42beb4.jpg%26ehk%3dGyyScSkSSlHp0v0T9H4xc3CzXb5VDkhrHx9rVjREeic%253d%26risl%3d%26pid%3dImgRaw&exph=1387&expw=2048&q=President+Johnson+poverty&simid=608027233018739590&ck=CE58262763ACD2B1622C8584328D6954&selectedIndex=27&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0.
References
President Lyndon Johnson Photograph. (2017). [Image]. https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=5m9KlS%2BZ&id=B62830625096DBEB333804458B033E82B4BAD8FB&thid=OIP.5m9KlS-ZIo48bSp7skw2FgHaJH&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.fineartamerica.com%2Fimages%2Fartworkimages%2Fmediumlarge%2F1%2Fpresident-lyndon-johnson-war-is-hellstore.jpg&cdnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FRe66f4a952f99228e3c6d2a7bb24c3616%3Frik%3D%252b9i6tII%252bA4tFBA%26pid%3DImgRaw&exph=900&expw=731&q=lyndon+johnson+president&simid=608006780385055534&ck=282FC14E3216FFD740D3101D714D50E6&selectedindex=2&form=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0&vt=0&sim=11.
References
The New York Times. (2013). War on Poverty [Image]. https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=BnPNCS%2bS&id=2 9A0EE9197C18DB3E55F5443C0AD3CC6A2A6AA86&thid=OIP.BnPNCS- SiHpidhA0BrMOCQHaEK&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fth.bing.com%2fth%2fid% 2fR0673cd092f92887a6276103406b30e09%3frik%3dhqqmosY8rcBDVA%26riu %3dhttp%253a%252f%252fstatic01.nyt.com%252fimages%252f2014%252f01% 252f05%252fus%252fJP-POVERTY%252fJP-POVERTY-videoSixteenByNine1050- v2.jpg%26ehk%3dojmlUPCg%252bAIHn0Wadr1Acp7LwZ2t2ZKOyV7TbnVtdB0% 253d%26risl%3d%26pid%3dImgRaw&exph=591&expw=1050&q=President+Joh nson+poverty&simid=607993212582106262&ck=B269FC4BAF4E49D2AB57E5D 298377923&selectedIndex=6&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0.
References
McLay, M. (2019). A High-Wire Crusade: Republicans and the War on Poverty, 1966. Journal of Policy History, 31(3), 382–405.
Torstensson, D. (2013). Beyond the city: Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty in rural America. Journal of Policy History, 25(4), 587–613.
