Lyndon B Johnson Liberalism

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Democracy allows for different interpretations as to how to legislate and enforce laws. Presidents are given the task to adapt and create a strategy for the situation they are placed within. While this may lead to controversial decisions, it has the ability to affect the world in a positive manner. Lyndon B. Johnson and Franklin D. Roosevelt are two presidents who affected the world greatly. While there are similarities between the administrations, there are also several differences due to the environments they were placed in.

Lyndon B. Johnson, or the "emblematic of New Liberalism," was born in Texas into humbling circumstances2. He eventually built his way up, and was able to make his fortune through political relationships. However, …show more content…

Early on in Johnson’s presidential career, he received congressional approval for the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. Thus creating an independent federal agency to spend more than one billion dollars on antipoverty programs. According to the CPI inflation calculator, this equates to $7,599,093,851.13 in today’s standard3. This tremendous amount of money went towards concepts such as the Community Action Programs, the food stamp program, and Head Start. The Community Action Program was designed in order to “…encourage the urban poor to organize themselves…,” and this had the power to “redistribute power away from local officials”2. This was highly effective in encouraging individuals to work. Head Start also generated a powerful effect. This program provided “early schooling, meals, and medical exams for impoverished preschool-aged children”2. This was crucial in order to lower the poverty rates. Children who receive an education are more likely to increase the standard of living in the future. Furthermore, Johnson created Medicare and Medicaid, which provided medical coverage to the elderly and those who were not working. Americans now take these programs for granted. However, these plans, along with the Vietnam War depleted the United States …show more content…

This legislation established minimum wage, time and a half for overtime, and prohibited child labor2. The establishment of minimum wage is still to this day crucial. The reform dissuades big business from taking advantage of workers. Another vital reformation was the creation of the Home Owners Loan Corporation in 1933. The Corporation refinanced home mortgages for people who could not pay to prevent foreclosures2. As a result, home mortgages were made long term. Without this result, mortgages would be extremely difficult to pay today. Finally, the Social Security Act of 1935 was attributed with long term economic security. This was strongly due to the fact that it guaranteed pensions to elderly Americans2. As a nation, we often take all these reforms for granted today. They are safety nets that people before this time period were not fortunate enough to