the great society: extending the new deal? · new deal” saw the passage of legislation creating...
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TheGreatSociety:ExtendingtheNewDeal?CenterforLegislativeArchives
www.archives.gov/legislative/resources
Worksheet1:ContrastingtheHistoricalContextoftheGreatSocietyandtheNewDeal
Instructions:Readthefollowingsummariesanddrawfromthemtoanswerthequestionsthatfollow.
1. TheNewDealInhisMarch4,1933InauguralAddress,PresidentFranklinD.Rooseveltcalledfor“aNewDealfortheAmericanpeople.”ThenationwasdevastatedbytheGreatDepressionwithbankingparalyzedbyanationalcrisis,theeconomyshattered,andunemploymentathistoricallyhighlevels.RooseveltcalledCongressimmediatelyintosession,andwithinthefirst100daysitpassedfifteenmajorprogramsthatfundamentallychangedAmericanpoliticsandtheeconomy.Unemploymentrelief,bankingreform,programstoboostagriculture,programstoreorganizeindustry,andprogramstocreatejobsthroughpublicworksspendingquicklygainedapproval.TheTennesseeValleyAuthoritywascreatedtoconstructhydroelectricdamsandspurtheeconomicdevelopmentofoneofthenation’spoorestregions.Ahostof“alphabeticalagencies”werecreatedtobringrelieftohard-hitpeopleandtoextendgovernmentoversighttoawidevarietyofissues.Forexample,theAgriculturalAdjustmentAdministrationledagriculturalreform,theNationalIndustrialRecoveryAdministrationexercisedauthorityoverbusinesses,theCivilianConservationCorpsprovidedjobsandcareertrainingforunemployedyoungpeople,whilethePublicWorksAdministrationcreatedpublicworksjobs.InPresidentRoosevelt’sfirstterminoffice,theNewDealprimarilyaddressedtheimmediateconsequencesoftheGreatDepression.Duringhissecondterm,however,the“SecondNewDeal”sawthepassageoflegislationcreatingoldagepensions(TheSocialSecurityAct),protectingoftherightsofworkerstoformunions(TheWagnerAct),andunsuccessfullyattemptingtocreateasystemofnationalhealthinsurance(undertheproposed,butnotpassed,WagnerNationalHealthAct,1939).TheNewDealtransformedmanyaspectsofAmericanlife,butdidnotsignificantlyadvancethecauseofAfricanAmericancivilrights.
2. TheGreatSociety
Despitethefactthatthemid-1960swereaperiodofunprecedentedprosperityandaffluenceformanyAmericans,PresidentLyndonB.JohnsondeclaredthatthetimehadcomeforAmericatoeliminatepovertybyattackingitscauses.Heusedtheterm“GreatSociety”inhisJanuary,1965StateoftheUnionAddresstosetagoalforthenationandtosignalhisintentiontousetheresourcesofthefederalgovernmenttoimprovethelivingconditionsandopportunitiesfordisadvantagedAmericans.Workingwiththe89thCongress(1965-67),Johnsonproposed115piecesoflegislation,andCongresspassed89ofthem.Afewexamplesdemonstratethewiderangingassaultlaunchedagainst
TheGreatSociety:ExtendingtheNewDeal?CenterforLegislativeArchives
www.archives.gov/legislative/resources
conditionsthatcontributedtopovertyandshowhowtheGreatSocietyprovidedprogramstoassistneedypeopleatallstagesoflife.TheHeadStartprogramprovidedpre-schooleducationandnutrition.TheHigherEducationActprovidedfederalsupportforeducationbyincreasingandimprovingresourcesathighereducationinstitutionsandprovidingfinancialassistancetostudentsinpostsecondaryeducation.TheEconomicOpportunityActledthewaronpovertythroughtheactionsofavarietyofeducational,trainingandemploymentagencies,andtheJobCorpstrainedunemployedworkers.TheMedicareprogramexpandedSocialSecuritytoprovidehealthinsurancefortheelderly.Inaddition,theAppalachianRegionalDevelopmentActdirectedfederalresourcestodeveloponeofthepoorestregionsofthecountry.TheGreatSocietyalsoadvancedcivilrights.TheVotingRightsActof1965protectedtherightsofAfricanAmericansfromrace-basedobstructionstovoting—expandingtheprotectionsagainstracialdiscriminationcontainedintheCivilRightsActof1964.
Questions:
1. HowweretheoveralleconomicconditionsinthenationdifferentatthestartoftheNewDealandatthestartoftheGreatSociety?
2. Whatviewoftheroleofgovernmentinsocietydidthetwoinitiativeshaveincommon?
3. WhatareasofsocietyweresuccessfullyaddressedbytheGreatSocietybutnotaccomplishedbytheNewDeal?
TheGreatSociety:ExtendingtheNewDeal?CenterforLegislativeArchives
www.archives.gov/legislative/resources
Worksheet2:UnscramblingNewDealandGreatSocietyProgramsandLegislation
Instructions:LabeltheprogramsandlegislationlistedintheleftcolumnaseitherNewDealorGreatSocietyandbrieflydescribewhatitdid.(RefertothehistoricalcontextsummariesthatyoureadinthepreviousWorksheettosupportyouranswers.)
ScrambledTableofPrograms
Programs LabeleachitemeitherNewDeal(ND)orGreatSociety(GS)andbrieflytellwhatitdid
TheVotingRightsAct
SocialSecurityAct
CivilianConservationCorps
AppalachianRegionalDevelopmentAct
TennesseeValleyAuthorityAct
EconomicOpportunityAct
Medicare
TheJobCorps
AgriculturalAdjustmentAct
HeadStart
TheGreatSociety:ExtendingtheNewDeal?CenterforLegislativeArchives
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Worksheet3:ContrastingtheNewDealandtheGreatSociety
Instructions:Readthefollowingtable.NotethatitlistsafewmajortopicsaddressedbylegislationcreatedduringtheNewDealandtheGreatSocietyprograms.CompletethetablebywritinginthenamesofappropriateexamplesofNewDealorGreatSocietylegislation.YoucanrefertothesummaryfoundonWorksheet1forclues.Note:TheNewDealandGreatSocietyaddressedmanymoreprogramsthanareincludedonthislist.
NewDealLegislationthatAddressedtheFollowingTopics(Notenotalltopicswereaddressedbyboth)
GreatSocietyLegislationthatAddressedtheFollowingTopics(Notenotalltopicswereaddressedbyboth)
Regionaldevelopment
Regionaldevelopment
Agriculturalresponsetoeconomicdepression
Agriculturalresponsetoeconomicdepression
OldAgeBenefits
OldAgeBenefits
CreatingJobs
CreatingJobs
CivilRights
CivilRights
HigherEducation
HigherEducation
Massunemployment
Massunemployment
Trainingyoungpeopleforcareers
Trainingyoungpeopleforcareers
TheGreatSociety:ExtendingtheNewDeal?CenterforLegislativeArchives
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Worksheet4:MatchingPrimarySourcestotheirEraofCreation
Instructions:IdentifyeachofthefollowingprimarysourcesasanillustrationofeithertheNewDealorGreatSociety.
NewDealorGreatSociety?Why?
NewDealorGreatSociety?Why?
NewDealorGreatSociety?Why?
NewDealorGreatSociety?Why?
TheGreatSociety:ExtendingtheNewDeal?CenterforLegislativeArchives
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NewDealorGreatSociety?Why?
NewDealorGreatSociety?Why?
NewDealorGreatSociety?Why?
NewDealorGreatSociety?Why?
ImageSources
1.OlderAmericansAct:http://acsc.lib.udel.edu/exhibits/show/legislation/item/1672.CCCworkers:https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/cccidaho/items/cccidaho105.html3.TVAposter,NAID515880:http://catalog.archives.gov/id/5158804.AppalachianRegionalDevelopmentAct:http://acsc.lib.udel.edu/exhibits/show/legislation/item/515.LadyBirdJohnsonandtheHeadStartprogram,NAID2803423:http://catalog.archives.gov/id/28034236.PWAconstruction,NAID196781:http://catalog.archives.gov/id/1967817.JobCorpstraining,NAID7005130:http://catalog.archives.gov/id/70051308.VotingRightsAct:http://acsc.lib.udel.edu/exhibits/show/legislation/item/198
TheGreatSociety:ExtendingtheNewDeal?CenterforLegislativeArchives
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Worksheet5:ReflectionQuestions
Instructions:Answerthefollowingquestions.CluestothesequestionsarescatteredthroughoutthelessonWorksheets.Eachquestioncanhavemorethanonecorrectanswer.Notethatextendinghastwomeanings:toprolongintimeandtoexpandinsizeorimpact.Asyouanswereachofthefollowingquestions,considerinwhichwayitreferstotheideathattheNewDealwasextendedbytheGreatSociety.
1. HowdidtheGreatSocietyextendtheSocialSecuritylegislationcreatedundertheNewDeal?
2. SelectonepieceofGreatSocietyLegislationthatextendedtheNewDealbycreatinglegislationthataddressedissuesthattheNewDealdidnottackle.Howdidthislegislation–althoughanewgovernmentinitiative–extendtheNewDealinSpirit?
3. BasedontheworkyoucompletedinthisWorksheet,howdidboththeNewDealandtheGreatSocietychangetheroleofgovernment?
4. Overall,didtheGreatSocietyextendtheNewDealorisitmoreaccuratetothinkofitasadistinctsetofchangesintheroleofgovernment?