4. Why did Johnson launch the Great Society and how successful was it?

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, we think about the Great Society, a set of domestic programs launched by President Johnson that aimed to eliminate poverty and racial injustice. In particular, we think about: (i) why Johnson launches the Great Society; (ii) Johnson's achievements in civil rights: 1964 Civil Rights Act, 1965 Voting Rights Act, 1968 Fair Housing Act; (iii) Johnson's reforms of the US healthcare system: Medicare and Medicaid; (iv) Johnson's reforms of the US education system, and his environmental reforms; (v) the reason Johnson was able to pass so much legislation; and (vi) the extent to which the Great Society was a success.

Course

In this course, Professor Mark White (Queen Mary, University of London) explores the life, political career and presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson through five key questions: (1) How did Johnson rise to power?; (2) Why did Johnson go to war in Vietnam?; (3) Why could Johnson not win in Vietnam?; (4) Why did Johnson launch the Great Society and how successful was it?; and (5) What was Johnson's legacy?

Lecturer

Mark White is Professor of History at Queen Mary, University of London, specialising in US foreign policy in the Cold War and the US presidency since 1945. His recent publications include Against the President: Dissent and Decision-Making in the White House (2007) and The Presidency of Bill Clinton: The Legacy of a New Domestic and Foreign Policy (2012)