The Great Society was a war on poverty and was led by Lyndon B Johnson. There were several things involved in the Great Society :
a. Higher Education Act which allowed more students to attend college from things such as Pell Grants and loans, etc.
b. It also included the Water Quality Act which started the testing of water for pollutants and bacteria in the water.
c. The Air Quality Act also set standards for industrial and auto emissions.
d. The Civil Rights Act outlawed segregation in all public places and facilities.
e. Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965) wanted federal money to be given to bring all schools up to a code and for all schools to have the same quality education. The money was also used for libraries and new technology, special education, adult education, etc.
f. The Medical Care Act (1965) was a compulsory system. Each pay check was docked to provide medical care for the elderly and the young.
g. The National Endowment For the Arts and Humanities promoted creativity; PBS was born from this program
h. The Model Cities Act (1966) made it so the cities could apply for federal aid to clean up slums
i. Head Start programs as well as CAP and VISTA was also created. The US now had a form of a welfare system. Poverty levels declined (In 1973, only 11% of the population was under the poverty line). It divided the Democratic Party (Southern democrats were angry about the new Civil Rights Act and started to turn conservative). This plan also created a budget deficit because the U.S could not afford both Vietnam and the Great Society.
The Great Society led to dramatic improvements in health and welfare for the elderly and poor. It also narrowed the economic gap between whites and blacks.
