Showing posts with label Legislature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Legislature. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The Voting Rights Act
Set up by Lyndon B. Johnson, this act eliminated sources of discrimination that were disabling people from voting. One exapmle of this is literacy tests. Before the passage of this act in 1965, literacy tests were instituted and many blacks, having a lesser quality of education due to segregated schools, were not capable of passing such tests. The act furthered a legislative end to discrimination.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The Peace Corps
The Peace Corps was first proposed by Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy on October 14, 1960 at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. On March 1, 1961, the plan was signed off by JFK. By July, locations had been found (Ghana, Tanzania, Colombia, the Philippines, Chile, and St. Lucia). On September 22, Congress approved the legislation and authorization of the Peace Corps. By 1963, the Peace Corps had extended to 44 countries. In 1966, the Peace Corps had over 15,000 field workers.
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The main result of the Gulf of Tonkin incident was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, made by the United States’ Congress. It states that the U.S. can and will take all measures to combat the spread of Communism in Indochina (namely Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos). Under Section 3, it basically proclaims the judgment of security in Southeast Asia exclusively to be that of the President’s, leaving the excuse for long term U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Many critics believe that the Tonkin incident was a setup to allow the U.S. government to make a statement like this and gain a motive to military involvement. Read the actual document.
Great Society
Upon Johnson’s entrance into office, he proposed his plan that he entitled “Great Society.” It was his “War on Poverty,” in which he created two new cabinet offices: The Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. These programs put families on welfare, milking over 3 billion dollars from national funds to the Office of Economic Opportunity. Johnson signed four different bills concerning each of the following: education, medical care, immigration reform, and voting rights. Johnson’s plan would be responsible for most of the legislation to occur in the decade.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Johnson’s new policies were the ultimate invasion of private rights. After his landslide election in 1964, which he won mostly because of the aftermath of Kennedy’s fame, Johnson became the butt-end of many political critics and voters. The passing of the Civil Rights act of 1964 banned racial discrimination in privately owned public places. This placed more power in Federal hands to instill the act, while limiting free speech and rights of owners. It also paved way for the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which had the effect of limiting discrimination in job hiring through the tactic of Affirmative action. In 1965, Johnson made an executive order enforcing affirmative action in all federal contracting—meeting quotas became mandatory.
Although in the election of 1964 Lyndon won a landslide (mostly due to a warmongering portrayal of opposition Goldwater), Johnson himself ended up to be a butcher of young American boys, prompting anti-war cries of “LBJ, LBJ, how many boys did you kill today?” Johnson used the Gulf of Tonkin incident to send air raids over the North Vietnamese and promote further deployment of troops to Vietnam. Johnson’s political ideals could easily be summed up in the following: Limiting State rights and promoting the growth of Federal government, Great Society, Civil Rights, and greater military involvement. By the next election in 1968, Johnson had managed to decimate all political support he had—Johnson was not even in the running for the Democratic primary.
Although in the election of 1964 Lyndon won a landslide (mostly due to a warmongering portrayal of opposition Goldwater), Johnson himself ended up to be a butcher of young American boys, prompting anti-war cries of “LBJ, LBJ, how many boys did you kill today?” Johnson used the Gulf of Tonkin incident to send air raids over the North Vietnamese and promote further deployment of troops to Vietnam. Johnson’s political ideals could easily be summed up in the following: Limiting State rights and promoting the growth of Federal government, Great Society, Civil Rights, and greater military involvement. By the next election in 1968, Johnson had managed to decimate all political support he had—Johnson was not even in the running for the Democratic primary.
Trade Expansion Act
Passed in 1962, and heavily promoted by the young president, JFK, this act enabled tariff cuts of up to 50% for Common Market (also known as European Union) countries. This was started by massive western European economic recovery due to the Marshall Plan. The main opposition to this act, which bolstered trans-Atlantic ties, was by Charles De Gaulle, Prime minister of France. De Gaulle feared the growing international power of the U.S., and felt threatened by the strong ties between America and Britain.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Government Programs - Agriculture
In the 60's, the government had a strong emphasis on improving nutritional/agricutlural needs, by implementing many food production-based programs:
1961, 1962
Agricultural Acts extend and enlarge earlier programs
1964
Food Stamp Act; Agricultural Act provides voluntary control program for cotton and wheat
The Food Stamp Act of the 1960s attempted to address the nation's problem of hunger by providing another means-tested program for the poor, the disabled, and single-parent households, in the form of food stamps.
1965
Appalachian Regional Development Act; Food and Agriculture Act establishes voluntary 4-year price and adjustment program
1966
President's Committee on Rural Poverty appointed; Child Nutrition Act
1967
Wholesome Meat Act
1968
Wholesome Poultry "Products Act"; special food service program for children
1969
White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health
1961, 1962
Agricultural Acts extend and enlarge earlier programs
1964
Food Stamp Act; Agricultural Act provides voluntary control program for cotton and wheat
The Food Stamp Act of the 1960s attempted to address the nation's problem of hunger by providing another means-tested program for the poor, the disabled, and single-parent households, in the form of food stamps.
1965
Appalachian Regional Development Act; Food and Agriculture Act establishes voluntary 4-year price and adjustment program
1966
President's Committee on Rural Poverty appointed; Child Nutrition Act
1967
Wholesome Meat Act
1968
Wholesome Poultry "Products Act"; special food service program for children
1969
White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health
Government Programs -- Medicare
1965
President Lyndon B. Johnson had far-reaching legislation on health care, the backbone of which was the Medicare program. Medicare was enacted in a bill signed in 1965 that extended social-security insurance to cover medical expenses for all citizens over 65 years of age. The program, which went into effect on 1 July 1966, was voluntary, but estimates were that 85-95 percent of those eligible would participate. Funding came from increased payroll taxes.
~Medicare has had two different parts since its inception. Part A covers hospitalization, outpatient diagnostic services, home-nursing ser-vices, and nursing-home care. Part B can be added voluntarily to cover doctor's fees and drug costs as well as other incidentals; it cost three dollars per month in 1966.
President Lyndon B. Johnson had far-reaching legislation on health care, the backbone of which was the Medicare program. Medicare was enacted in a bill signed in 1965 that extended social-security insurance to cover medical expenses for all citizens over 65 years of age. The program, which went into effect on 1 July 1966, was voluntary, but estimates were that 85-95 percent of those eligible would participate. Funding came from increased payroll taxes.
~Medicare has had two different parts since its inception. Part A covers hospitalization, outpatient diagnostic services, home-nursing ser-vices, and nursing-home care. Part B can be added voluntarily to cover doctor's fees and drug costs as well as other incidentals; it cost three dollars per month in 1966.
Government Programs and Recessions
Recessions/Government Programs:
1960
As the 1960 presidential election campaign got under way, the 1960-1961 recession began. John F Kennedy’s 1960 campaign promise “ to get America moving again “ referred to the American economy. He wanted economic growth at an annual rate of 4-6 percent and unemployment at 4 percent.Kennedy knew that the economy was in big trouble so he sent congress an economic growth and recovery package consisting of twelve measures. They were an increase in the minimum wage from $1.00 to $1.25 per hour and an extension of the minimum wage to a larger pool of workers, an increase in unemployment compensation plus increased aid to children of unemployed workers, increase social security benefits to a larger pool of people, emergency relief for feed grain farmers, area redevelopment, vocational training for displaced workers, and federal funding for home building and slum eradication.
1964
President Johnson inherited a strong economy from president Kennedy. The growth during his presidency between 1964 and 1965 gave him an annual dividend of $4-5 billion in extra revenues to spend. For the first two years of Johnson’s presidency the inflation rate was just under 2 percent. In 1965 inflation began to pick up slightly, but the GNP (gross national product) grew by $9 billion and unemployment stood at 1.4 percent. The economy was looking better during the winter of 1966: real growth was 9 percent, and with unemployment at 3.8 percent the economy was robust. As it reached 1967 Johnson administration became concerned with inflation. On August 3 Johnson asked congress to impose a temporary 10 percent income tax surcharge. The surcharge became a law on June 28 1968 that was tied to a $6 billion budget reduction. In 1968, Johnson’s almost last month in office, the growth rate was 4 percent and the unemployment rate was only 3.3 percent, but the inflation rate had reached 4.7 percent.
1968
In January 1969, President Richard M. Nixon moved slowly on the economy. Nixon avoided to some advisers that were calling for wage and price controls and relied instead on some minor trimming of federal spending during his first year. By mid 1970 the inflation rate had reached 6.5 percent.
1960
As the 1960 presidential election campaign got under way, the 1960-1961 recession began. John F Kennedy’s 1960 campaign promise “ to get America moving again “ referred to the American economy. He wanted economic growth at an annual rate of 4-6 percent and unemployment at 4 percent.Kennedy knew that the economy was in big trouble so he sent congress an economic growth and recovery package consisting of twelve measures. They were an increase in the minimum wage from $1.00 to $1.25 per hour and an extension of the minimum wage to a larger pool of workers, an increase in unemployment compensation plus increased aid to children of unemployed workers, increase social security benefits to a larger pool of people, emergency relief for feed grain farmers, area redevelopment, vocational training for displaced workers, and federal funding for home building and slum eradication.
1964
President Johnson inherited a strong economy from president Kennedy. The growth during his presidency between 1964 and 1965 gave him an annual dividend of $4-5 billion in extra revenues to spend. For the first two years of Johnson’s presidency the inflation rate was just under 2 percent. In 1965 inflation began to pick up slightly, but the GNP (gross national product) grew by $9 billion and unemployment stood at 1.4 percent. The economy was looking better during the winter of 1966: real growth was 9 percent, and with unemployment at 3.8 percent the economy was robust. As it reached 1967 Johnson administration became concerned with inflation. On August 3 Johnson asked congress to impose a temporary 10 percent income tax surcharge. The surcharge became a law on June 28 1968 that was tied to a $6 billion budget reduction. In 1968, Johnson’s almost last month in office, the growth rate was 4 percent and the unemployment rate was only 3.3 percent, but the inflation rate had reached 4.7 percent.
1968
In January 1969, President Richard M. Nixon moved slowly on the economy. Nixon avoided to some advisers that were calling for wage and price controls and relied instead on some minor trimming of federal spending during his first year. By mid 1970 the inflation rate had reached 6.5 percent.
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