Name: __________________________________ Per: ____
American Cultures 6.0, Mr. Gutsche
Chapter 29, Section 3: Johnson’s Great Society and War on Poverty (pgs. 888-890)
1. What is a great society? Or – what do you see a “great society” looking like?
2. Do we have a great society today? Why? If not, what could we do to have one? Explain.
3. What was Johnson’s vision for America?
4. Fill in the chart below about major Great Society programs
Act or Program
1. Medicare
2.
Medicaid
3.
Head Start
4.
Immigration Act
of 1965
5.
Economic
Opportunity Act,
1964
Purpose/Major Provisions
Ideal(s) it strives towards/Area focused on
6.
Volunteers in
Service to
America (VISTA),
1964
7.
Elementary and
Secondary
Education Act of
1965
8.
The Department
of Housing and
Urban
Development
(HUD), 1965
5. How did the Great Society solidify the Democratic Party’s hold on elderly, black, and urban voters?
Explain.
6. What was the significance and effect (impact) of the Great Society? Was it successful? Explain.
7. Why would Conservatives and Republicans have criticized Johnson’s Great Society?
A. It expanded the size of the federal government
B. It succeeded in ending poverty in the U.S.
C. It put too much power in the hands of the state governments
D. It encouraged the growth of big business
8. To what extent did Lyndon Johnson succeed in bringing about his Great Society and why?
A. All of the legislation proved to be no more than a disaster because all the programs were illconceived and underfinanced
B. Because of the sweeping programs, poverty was reduced to less than 5 percent of the population
for the first time in U.S. history
C. Some of LBJ’s programs significantly improved the quality of America life, but the major thrust to
provide economic opportunity for all was derailed by the Vietnam War
D. Because Congress was hostile to the programs’ lack of funding, it doomed most of them from the
start