Lyndon B. Johnson was the president from 1963 to 1969. He was a Texas politician who had entered the White House as the vice-president of John F. Kennedy, Jr. When President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, Vice-President Johnson became President of the United States (US). President Johnson continued a strategy meant to relieve poverty and ease race tensions in the US at the time. Kennedy had been given a mandate (a consensus) by the people concerning both domestic and foreign policy goals. Domestically the voters wanted economic growth and carefully planned government programs in order to bring progress to the nation.
Race problems were addressed by the passing of two very important civil rights laws. In fact the legislation was the first that had been passed since the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Segregation in public places was banned so people could sit where they wished and could drink from any water fountain available. The color of skin did not matter because everyone had a legal right to use public facilities. African-Americans’ right to vote was guaranteed by the second law.
The US War on Poverty was addressed by important legislation called the Economic Opportunity Act (1964). The Act set forth new ways for government to help people who had few resources and low incomes. The Act’s purpose was to help people have a better life. It was designed to give some means for people to rise out of poverty. Head Start program was designed to help every child receive a good foundation in Kindergarten education. Job Core was meant to help young people gain work skills while improving the country. Medicare and Medicaid were designed to help people with physical problems and poor health.
For example Medicare is a national health insurance program. People unable to work due to physical injury or illness are paid from the account so they can meet their monthly living needs. Also elderly Americans ages 65 and are covered. People with kidney disease (renal disease at the end stages which requires dialysis) are also covered because it is so expensive when their own health insurance does not cover the costs. Medicaid was passed at the same time. Medicaid is an account which is funded by both the state and federal government but the states administer the money. The purpose is to provide health care for people who have low income. It is a federal health insurance policy.
The main obstacle placed at the beginning of these programs was low funding. Then because the states were in charge of administering the Medicaid the bureaucracy was different in each state. Sometimes it was designed to be complicated on purpose and hard to use. Although these ‘safety net’ programs helped millions of people improve their livelihoods, many people thought that government was intruding into people’s lives too much. A change occurred in the consensus of the time until today. Today there are presidential candidates outspoken in their calls to privatize or to end Medicaid and Medicare
The Head Start program has been highly successful in giving children living under the poverty level a ‘head start’ in growth and development so they can keep up with all children in school. Even with the successes Head Start can prove the program has been complained about and tinkered with. Job Core was designed like the programs in the Great Depression which were designed to put people to work. Young people (ages 16 to 25 years) are offered both vocational and academic training.
All of these programs are considered ‘safety net’ programs. They are used to give a more level playing field to individuals and families facing hard times. The success of the programs, unfortunately, does not convince some that the programs are worthwhile. The programs are said to be hand outs of tax payers’ money to lazy people for instance. The opposite views (pro and con) of this type of program have caused a lot of tensions in the 2012 presidential elections.
