Shaped modern safety net
Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, and federal education aid all trace to this era and remain central to federal spending and policy debates today.
In plain English
When Washington declared war on poverty.
A broad package of federal programs Johnson pushed through Congress in the mid-1960s to fight poverty, expand health coverage, and end racial discrimination.
Simple example
The Social Security Amendments of 1965, signed by Johnson at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, created Medicare and Medicaid as part of the Great Society agenda.
Why it matters
What the term actually changes.
Ongoing political divide
Assessments of the Great Society continue to influence debates over the proper size and role of the federal government in addressing poverty and inequality.
How it works
The mechanics, in practice.
Legislative bundle
Johnson and congressional allies passed dozens of bills covering civil rights, health insurance for the elderly and poor, K-12 school funding, housing, and job training.
Federal-state partnerships
Many programs, such as Medicaid and Title I education funding, are administered by states but financed substantially by the federal government under rules set in Washington.
Related guide
Did Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society programs achieve their goals?
A look at the sweeping 1960s agenda that reshaped federal policy on poverty, health care, education and civil rights.
Read the guide → Related issue brief
Did Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society programs achieve their goals?
More than half a century after their enactment, the sweeping 1960s reforms remain a touchstone in debates over the federal government's role in fighting poverty and inequality.
Read the brief →You’ve learned the term. Now vote.
Did Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society programs achieve their goals?
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