Lyndon B Johnson's Issues In The 1960 Essay

The year was 1963. News of John F. Kennedy’s assassination was widespread as the nation mourned over the death of the young president. In a state of distress, the vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson, was sworn into office, succeeding Kennedy in order to create his version of a Great Society with the help of the legislative and judiciary branch and most importantly the citizens. During his presidency, Johnson was able to produce the Great Society which focused on social issues such as civil rights, poverty, Medicare and Medicaid while also controversially involving the US in the Vietnam War, continuing a legacy for future presidents. With the proposal and approval of the 13th amendment, slavery was officially abolished in the 1800s, but the

Towards the end of Kennedy’s presidency and the beginning of Johnson’s presidency, the poverty rate was at 19 percent. In his State of the Union address, Johnson officially declared a war on poverty, clearly outlining what needed to be done in order to “not only to relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it [poverty]” (Johnson, “First State of the Union Address”). However, efforts to battle poverty and economic instability did not just start with Johnson as poverty has been a national issue for decades. For example, during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency, which was during the Great Depression, he introduced the New Deal and created Social Security, minimum wage, and Keynesian economic theory, the idea that “government spending would boost economic growth” (Amadeo, “FDR’s Economic Policies”). During Kennedy’s presidential term, he introduced tax cuts in his plan and “proposed in 1963 to cut income taxes from a range of 20-91% to 14-65%. He also proposed a cut in the corporate tax rate from 52% to 47%” (“John F. Kennedy”). After Kennedy’s assassination, Johnson would follow through with the plans that had yet to be achieved and stated to Congress that “No act of ours could more fittingly continue the work of President Kennedy than the early passage of the tax bill for which he fought all this long year” (“LBJ addresses Congress”). Johnson believed that this tax bill would benefit

The US first started getting involved with Vietnam in 1960 under President Truman to prevent communism taking over all of Vietnam and would not end its involvement until 1973 under President Nixon. In the beginning of his term, Johnson approved NSAM 273 “which directed the U.S. government to assist the people and Government of South Vietnam to win their contest against the externally directed and supported Communist conspiracy" and NSAM 288 which increased US involvement (Germany, “Lyndon B. Johnson”). Johnson officially authorized the US entering the Vietnam war in 1965 where “its legacy was 58,220 American soldiers dead, a huge drain on the nation’s finances, social polarisation and the tarnishing of the reputation of the United States” (White, “Why did Lyndon”). Towards the end of the term he reflected “I knew from the start that I was bound to be crucified either way I moved” saying that he was torn between leaving the Great Society or letting communism take over Vietnam (White, “Why did Lyndon”). The stress he received from being in the executive branch with powers that include being Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy during the Vietnam War would cause him to leave