Great Society: What it Was, Legacy and FAQ

What Was the Great Society?

The Great Society was a set of domestic policy initiatives, programs, and legislation introduced in the 1960s in the U.S. These Great Society programs were intended to reduce poverty levels, reduce racial injustice, reduce crime, and improve the environment. Great Society policies were launched by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson between 1964 and 1965.

Johnson first laid out his plan for what he coined a "Great Society" during a speech at the University of Michigan. Johnson vowed that this collection of programs would lead to "an end to poverty and racial injustice."

Although Johnson's policies and programs targeted education, workforce training, healthcare, food security, and voting and civil rights, they were centrist in their approach.

Understanding the Great Society

The initiatives that comprised the Great Society have been compared, in their scope and their intent, to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs, enacted in the U.S. between 1933 and 1939.

The Great Society is considered one of the most extensive social reform plans in modern history. In addition, Johnson's efforts helped establish greater civil and voting rights, greater environmental protections, and increased aid to public schools.

Great Society Programs

Antipoverty

In March 1964, Johnson introduced the Office of Economic Opportunity and the Economic Opportunity Act to Congress. Johnson wanted to address the underprivileged members of the U.S. by creating a Job Corps. He also asked state and local governments to develop work training programs. 

A national work-study program provided funding for 140,000 Americans to attend college. Other initiatives included community action programs, government-sponsored programs that trained volunteers to serve poor communities, loans to employers to hire the unemployed, funding for agricultural co-ops, and help for parents re-entering the workforce. 

Healthcare

When Johnson took office, many aging adults and those living paycheck to paycheck or living below the federal poverty level in the U.S. lacked any health insurance. When Johnson became the President, the Medicare and Medicaid programs became part of U.S. law.

Medicare helped to provide coverage for hospital and physician visits for aging adults; the Medicaid program helped cover healthcare costs for those suffering from poverty and receiving assistance from the government. 

Education

Project Head Start began as an eight-week summer camp. It was operated by the Office of Economic Opportunity, and 500,000 children aged from three to five received preschool education.

In 1965, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was passed, which guaranteed federal funding for education in school districts where the majority of students were living in low-income households.

Johnson also created additional support for the arts and humanities by signing the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act in 1965.

Environmental Protections

Various environmental initiatives set water quality standards and vehicle emission standards. Laws were also passed to create scenic trails and protect wildlife, rivers, and historic landmarks.

Consumer Protection

The Great Society established several laws and agencies to protect U.S. consumers. In 1972, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was formed to "protect the public against unreasonable risks of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products."

The CPSC creates and enforces standards, restricts unsafe consumer products, oversees the recall and replacement of products, and provides education on consumer safety. Most products except for motor vehicles, food, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and firearms fall under the jurisdiction of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The Great Society also established the Child Protection Act of 1966 to protect children from dangerous toys and products. Under the act, the federal government possesses the authority to define potential hazards and issue warning labels on hazardous toys and household items.

The Legacy of the Great Society

Great Society policies also focused on urban renewal. Following World War II, many major cities were in poor condition, and affordable housing was hard to find, particularly for the disadvantaged and underprivileged. The Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 provided federal funds to cities to invest in urban development that met minimum housing standards. The Act provided better access to home mortgages and a rent-subsidy program.

Johnson's Great Society policies birthed Medicare, Medicaid, the Older Americans Act, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. All of which remain government programs in 2021. In addition, Johnson's policies helped create the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts to support and fund cultural institutions necessary for a healthy society. These programs fund and support libraries, public television and radio, museums, and archives.

The Great Society programs and policies inspire, educate, and lift Americans out of poverty decades after they were put into place.

Special Considerations

Johnson's government-funded programs aimed to reduce poverty and improve society, and his initiatives increased education levels and reduced inequality among Americans. Unfortunately, some of Johnson's efforts were overshadowed by the Vietnam War.

As the conflict waged on, Johnson was forced to divert funds to promote education and help underprivileged members of society to the war that claimed over 58,000 American lives. America's involvement in Vietnam tarnished Johnson's reputation despite his efforts to improve life for millions of Americans.