Betcha saw this theme coming—after all, it's basically the presidents' job to come up with a vision of what they want for America. The Great Society speech was Johnson's chance to put it all out there. LBJ looked at America and saw promise. Sure, there were problems, serious problems. There were also serious resources—namely money, ingenuity, and the drive to succeed. Johnson was a true believer in the nation's ability to better itself, and in the Great Society speech, he hoped to turn his audience into believers, too.
It was a pretty ambitious vision, and he got much of it done through a torrent of legislation and a long list of new programs. People can argue about whether his war on poverty or Civil Rights Act were a success or not, but plenty of his visions became reality.
Questions About Visions of America
- Why do you think Johnson concentrated on three specific areas of concern?
- What are some examples of living the good life in an American city?
- Did the speech convince you that the Great Society was possible? Why, or why not?
Chew on This
In 1964 the U.S. economy was strong, so Americans felt they could afford to help out people in need.
The Great Society programs just created a "nanny state"—too much dependence on federal government.