Great Society
Definition
The Great Society was a set of domestic programs in the United States launched by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964–65 aiming to eliminate poverty and racial injustice.
Analogy
Think of the Great Society as a big, ambitious construction project. Just like how an architect designs a building with different rooms for different purposes (a kitchen for cooking, a bedroom for sleeping), Johnson designed the Great Society with different programs to address various social issues - poverty, education, healthcare, etc.
Related terms
War on Poverty: This is another term coined by President Lyndon B. Johnson during his State of the Union Address in 1964 where he introduced legislation designed to help end poverty in the United States.
Civil Rights Act of 1964: This landmark civil rights and labor law outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It's like one of those important pillars holding up the 'building' that is the Great Society.
New Deal: A series of public works projects, financial reforms and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression. It's like an earlier 'construction project' that also aimed at improving American society but under different circumstances.
"Great Society" appears in:
Practice Questions (16)
- Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs designed to expand some of the social reforms of the New Deal were partially inspired by the book:
- Which of the following was NOT a part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society initiative?
- Which of the following was a key aspect of the Great Society's approach to fighting poverty?
- Which of the following was NOT a major goal of the Great Society?
- Which of the following was a major piece of legislation passed during the Great Society that aimed to address racial inequality?
- Which of the following was a key component of the Great Society's approach to education?
- Which of the following was a major initiative of the Great Society aimed at protecting the environment?
- Which of the following Great Society initiatives provided federal funding for the arts and humanities?
- Which reform did President Lyndon B. Johnson propose as part of his Great Society plan to reduce poverty?
- How does Franklin D Roosevelt's New Deal compare with Lyndon B Johnson's Great Society in terms of their main objective?
- Which law from the Great Society period banned literacy tests for voter registration?
- Which legislation from the Great Society period aimed to end segregation in public places?
- Which Supreme Court Chief Justice presided over court decisions backing elements of the Great Society?
- Which piece of legislation provided healthcare coverage to elderly Americans during the "Great Society" period?
- Which action of Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society most closely mirrors a policy implemented during the New Deal era?
- Which element of Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society mirrored initiatives from the Progressive Era?
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