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Johnson as President -LBJ took over when JFK was assassinated -Before being VP, was a senator from TX -Very good politician -Wanted to focus in on 3 areas while president -Tax cuts -Civil Rights -Poverty
War on Poverty -More than 42 million people lived on less than $1,000/year -Many of them minorities -Johnson declares “war” on poverty -Office of Economic Opportunity established -Coordinated anti-poverty programs -Job Corpsàwork training program for young people -Head StartàEducation program for preschoolers -VISTAàlike Peace Corps for America
Johnson’s “Great Society” -Johnson had a vision on what America looked like -Used that to get elected in 1964 -Won in a major landslide -Wanted poverty, racial injustices to end -Wanted all kids to have good education -LBJ established programs to accomplish his goal -MedicareàNational health insurance for seniors -MedicaidàFree health insurance to the needy -Elementary and Secondary School Education Act (1965) -Gave billions to schools in need -Housing and Urban Development Act -Gave billions for urban renewal -Established Dep’t of Housing and Urban Devp’t (HUD)
Supreme Court Decisions -Very important decisions came out in the 1960s -Gov’t must provide a lawyer to those who can’t afford one Escobedo v. Illinois (1964) -Right to have a lawyer when being interrogated -Police must inform accused of their rights -Miranda Rights -“You have the right to remain silent…” -Many people like them; many people hated them -S.C. was making law, not interpreting it
Johnson’s Foreign Policy -JFK started sending troops to Vietnam -LBJ sends in lots of troops to stop communism in S. Vietnam |