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Why Did The Great Society Fail Essay

1385 Words6 Pages

Did the Great Society fail? The 1900s can be viewed as a transformative period, with profound changes and developments in technology, politics, and society. Starting with great prosperity through the early 1900s, due to consumerism, America was drawn into foreign affairs, which created great poverty, and cultural division throughout the nation. This remained throughout the First and Second World Wars. Although presidents after the Second World War attempted different forms of recovery, these attempts resulted in temporary relief, failing to recover the nation from poverty and equality. When the Great Society was proposed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 it was an attempt to eliminate domestic diversity, and poverty, while also providing …show more content…

Califano, Jr. is the former United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. He graduated from Harvard Law School and wrote the article The Ship Sails On. In his article, he goes against the perspective of Charles Murray by considering the Great Society a success. He argues that Lyndon Johnson's society provided education, equality, and restoration, and helped restore the economy. Throughout Lyndon Johnson's presidency, more than 100 bills were passed in an attempt to better the nation. While this demonstrates the efficiency, and determination of President Johnson, it also necessitated heightened government involvement and regulation. This increase in bureaucracy upset many white Republicans who favored a decentralized government. Moving from a Jeffersonian-style government to a Hamiltonian fashion government in pursuit of equality caused great societal chaos. The overproduction of bills caused government regulation to deteriorate, combined with bureaucracy, resulted in violent riots throughout the nation. As Charles Murray states “Specifically, the riots and militancy adjoined the moral monopoly that the civil rights movement of 1964 still …show more content…

While the Great Society had some ideas that led the United States in the direction of development in the far future, it failed to assist those affected by poverty and other problems experienced at the time. The Oakland repairment is one example of how the Great Society provided despair and disillusionment to those living in poverty. Overall, James Murray viewed the civil rights movements and the poverty reconstruction as a failure due to Lyndon Johnson's idealistic attempts at recovery rather than realistic attempts. On the other hand, Lyndon Johnson's ideological thoughts blended ideological ideas with progressive and pragmatic principles, allowing effective leadership and commitment. One of Johnson’s greatest contributions throughout his presidency was his dedication to improving the nation's medical standpoint. “The jump was almost dramatic among the less advantaged, suggesting that better nutrition and access to health care played an even larger role than medical miracles,” says Joseph A. Califano, Jr., a Harvard health and welfare

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