In 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson launched the Great Society, a set of domestic programs aimed at eliminating poverty and racial inequality. The Great Society’s policies included support for the arts, humanities, and other programs that helped scholars and artists grow and expand their knowledge. The Great Society also helped fund the arts and humanities, which resulted in the creation of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Humanities. These programs are now open to all citizens.
Urban renewal is one of the Great Society’s policies. Major cities were left without affordable housing after World War II. This made it urgent for new initiatives to be taken. President Johnson’s speech was designed to appeal to the young idealism of the audience and explain why a new, progressive government was needed to help the nation’s future. He explains the Great Society in just four paragraphs. Students should paraphrase the phrase “Great Society”, and the meaning.