Unit 11 By Bennett Huddleston Andrew Zucker Mark

Unit 11 By: Bennett Huddleston, Andrew Zucker, Mark Carter, and Michael Noteboom

Question 1. “Even though Lyndon Johnson was not as greatly admired as President Kennedy, he was a more effective leader than Kennedy in domestic affairs. ” Assess the validity of this statement.

Thesis Lyndon Johnson's was tremendously more effective in his domestic affairs than Kennedy because he had experience in the Senate and knew how to get things passed while Kennedy could not.

Kennedy's Domestic Affairs President Kennedy's domestic program was called the New Frontier. Kennedy came into office with fragile Democratic majorities in Congress. Southern Democrats threatened to team up with Republicans and ax New Frontier proposals such as medical assistance for the aged. Kennedy won a first round in his campaign for a more cooperative Congress when he forced an expansion of the House Rules Committee. Despite this victory, the New Frontier did not expand key medical and education bills remained stalled in Congress.

LBJ's Domestic Affairs LBJ was very skilled at getting Bill's passed through Congress. He declared that the way to honor President Kennedy was the earliest possible passage of the Civil Rights Bill and after a lengthy conservative filibuster, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Johnson also was able to pass Kennedy's stalled tax bill through Congress and added proposals of his own for a billion-dollar “War on Poverty. ”

Great Society Johnson named his domestic program the Great Society. With the huge Democratic victory in the election of 1964, Johnson had a wide-open legislative road for Great Society programs. Congress poured out a flood of legislation. Johnson had delivered on Democratic promises of social reform. Congress escalated the War on Poverty by doubling the appropriation of the OEO. It also created the Department of Transportation and the HUD. Even more impressive were the Big Four legislative achievments: aid to education, medical care for the elderly and indigent, immigration reform, and a new voting rights bill.

Conclusion LBJ was by far a more effective leader in domestic affairs than Kennedy. His ability to get Congress to pass his Great Society programs allowed him to accomplish much more in his presidency than Kennedy was able to do.