The ‘Great Society’

Kennedy's New Frontier

• President Kennedy aimed to tackle poverty through reforms

  • Increased minimum wage

  • Expanded social security benefits

  • Introduced the Manpower and Training Act of 1962

Johnson's Great Society

• President Johnson continued Kennedy's work to eradicate poverty

  • Declared a 'war on poverty'

  • Introduced the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act

  • Focused on education, healthcare, and poverty reduction

Poverty Reduction

• Poverty rate dropped from 19% in 1964 to 11% by 1973

• Economic Opportunity Act provided training and assistance

• Education Acts provided funding for schools and student loans

Healthcare Reforms

• Social Security Act of 1965 introduced Medicare and Medicaid

• Medicare desegregated hospitals and provided basic healthcare for the elderly

• Medicaid offered basic healthcare for the impoverished

Challenges and Limitations

• Lack of oversight in school funding led to wastage

• Expensive programs and competition with Vietnam War for funding

• Inability to completely eliminate poverty led to frustration and contributed to inner-city riots

This highlights the efforts made by Presidents Kennedy and Johnson to address poverty in America through various reforms and programs during the 1960s.