Great Society Speech: Glossary
Great Society Speech: Glossary
Coeducational
When guys and girls attend school together. In the early '60s, most public high schools in the U.S. were coed, but there were still hundreds of single-sex colleges and universities. Several elite private colleges remained all-male until the 1970s; Columbia University in New York held out until 1983.
Creative federalism
New ways to deal with old issues: namely, getting federal government resources to local communities. Critics complained it made the feds too powerful; supporters countered that it gave a voice to community groups that had been overlooked.
Culture of poverty
A theory included in Michael Harrington's 1962 book The Other America. It said that poor people were affected by circumstances that made it difficult to get out of poverty. Because they were largely powerless to change the circumstances, the poor repeated the same cycle for generations.
Enjoin
To suggest strongly; not quite an order but something you really, really, really should do (if you know what's good for you), especially if someone like LBJ suggests it.
Exploits of genius
The inventions, innovations, and big ideas that made America a pretty great place.
Peace Corps
The signature program of John F. Kennedy's administration. Young Americans volunteered to work overseas in developing countries. Kennedy, who first announced the program at the University of Michigan during the 1960 presidential campaign, said the Peace Corps would be a valuable way for Americans to learn about the world and for the world to learn about Americans. The Great Society created a domestic version of the Peace Corps called Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA).
Soulless wealth
A result of too much material progress; money with no meaning. If you don't use it, you'll lose it. (Okay, you probably won't lose it, but it won't make you happy, so you might as well do something useful with it.)
Sustenance
The basics you need to survive. Food and water are sustenance. Pokémon Go is not.