Liberalism Ascendant: Kennedy and Johnson Administrations

Liberalism Ascendant

• The administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson represent a high point for liberalism in America.
• However, this strength masked underlying weaknesses. The expansion of civil rights, individual rights, and government programs led to a backlash from both conservatives and left-wing activists.
• The New Deal coalition, which had been stable since the 1930s, began to fracture due to competing demands from various groups.

The Crushing Disappointment

• The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968 marked a significant turning point and led to widespread rioting and a sense of crushed hopes.
• This disappointment was shared by many Americans, both white and black.
• The 1960s were marked by assassinations of prominent liberal leaders, including John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
• Liberalism's use of government to protect civil rights and expand economic opportunity also generated discord.
• Social reformers advanced competing visions of social justice, ranging from nonviolence to armed self-defense.
• Conservative segments of the population opposed these reforms, viewing them as nightmares.
• The rise of the hippie counterculture also contributed to the perception of liberalism as associated with lawlessness and the erosion of traditional values.
• By 1970, Americans were divided over whether the nation had changed too much or not enough.

Key Questions

• What were the societal visions of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations?
• How did they exemplify a new definition of liberalism?
• What other movements emerged in the 1960s, and how were they influenced by the black freedom struggle?
• What were the key goals of feminist reformers?
• Who opposed them and why?
• How did the liberal project of the 1960s help create a backlash and a resurgence of right-wing politics and electoral viability?

Kennedy and Johnson: Heirs to the New Deal

• The 1960s were the peak of American liberalism, driven by presidential reform agendas and Supreme Court rulings.
• Kennedy and Johnson saw themselves as successors to the New Deal and followed in the footsteps of Harry Truman.
• Both believed in the power of the federal government to reform American society but faced resistance from conservatives.
• Kennedy was influenced by Michael Harrington's book, The Other America, which exposed the poverty experienced by nearly 20% of Americans.
• Harrington's work highlighted deteriorating schools, substandard housing, and dead-end jobs that perpetuated poverty.
• Harrington claimed that a culture of poverty filled with extramarital sex, illegitimate children, broken families created a different kind of people who did not share the values of middle class America.
• Kennedy's charisma and personal touch allowed him to connect with average Americans and working-class individuals.
• Kennedy set the tone for his presidency in his inaugural address, calling for a new beginning.

Kennedy's New Frontier

• Kennedy narrowly defeated Richard Nixon in the 1960 election, highlighting the country's divisions.
• Kennedy aimed to reinvigorate the liberal agenda through his