U.S.

History Name: ___________________________________

Lyndon Johnson and the Great Society

Save this sheet to your own file then visit each website. Respond to the questions completely
then print this out.

Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx0K637mBVE and watch the five minute video

clip on The Great Society.

1. Summarize the contents of the video in three sentences:

2. Complete the chart for the 3 listed Great Society programs & any 2 of the other Great Society
programs listed below:

Job Corps
Upward Bound
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)[descended from the Food Stamp Act of 1964]
Head Start

Name of Program What It Does

Elementary &
Secondary Education
Act

Medicare

Medicaid

http://www.communityactionpartnership.com/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=50

3. According to the website above, what are seven types of services that the Great Societys
Community Action programs have continued to provide?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/lbj/player/ (2:01-2:04)

4. According to the above video clip above, Pres. Johnson was the most _________________
president in U.S. history.

5. Why did LBJ push so hard to get so many laws passed so quickly?

II. Go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/bonus-
video/presidents-economy-lbj/

video on War on Poverty (2 min.)

6. According to the above video clip, what was the goal of the War on Poverty?

7. In what way did many Americans see the War on Poverty as a cause similar to World War II?

V. President Johnson idolized Franklin D. Roosevelt, and some commentators view the
Great Society as an updated New Deal. What are the similarities and differences
between the two initiatives?

In your opinion, were the federal governments major new spending programs under
The Great Society a positive thing for the United States or a negative thing? Was this
an appropriate use of government power or an example of government power going
too far? Discuss your answer in detail (minimum 5 sentences):