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bryan8063's review against another edition
4.0
When looking at civil rights and Great Society legislation, historian Julian Zelizer turns away from the usual tale about LBJ's legislative prowess to examine these legislative victories in a wider and important context, specifically looking at Congress.
LBJ ushered in a landslide victory, so with this and the conditions from the grass-roots, it was a good time to get big legislation passed. However, the conservative coalition slammed the door on LBJ. The president had a two-year window, and by 1966, with Vietnam, white backlash, and rioting, liberals were on the defensive and no major legislation was passed. The book revises the standard accounts in a good way. This is a fascinating account and highly recommended.
LBJ ushered in a landslide victory, so with this and the conditions from the grass-roots, it was a good time to get big legislation passed. However, the conservative coalition slammed the door on LBJ. The president had a two-year window, and by 1966, with Vietnam, white backlash, and rioting, liberals were on the defensive and no major legislation was passed. The book revises the standard accounts in a good way. This is a fascinating account and highly recommended.
yoav's review against another edition
4.0
A comprehensive historical study, written in a relatively accessible way, about the period of Lyndon Johnson in the White House, who took office after Kennedy's assassination and after two years of work, was elected by a huge majority to the presidency and swept Congress and the Senate into a huge liberal revolution (after years that Congress was ruled by a Coalition of conservatives).
In less than six years he initiated the enactment of the civil rights act, which effectively abolished racial segregation, particularly in the workplace (and the way it was done by chance, also anchored women's rights to equality in the law); Prevent discrimination in voting; brought hundreds of federal laws and programs on social issues, the most important being Medicare, which regulated federal health insurance for the elderly and disabled; And initiated a comprehensive plan to combat poverty.
The book describes how Johnson's attempt to stay politically hawkish and continue the war in Vietnam increased the loss of left wing and young supporters and caused an economic spiral. On the other hand, continuing black riots in the north and east led to the loss of support for the liberal center-right, and ultimately led to his decision not to run again despite his amazing achievements.
Despite strong opposition to the plans of Johnson when they were presented - especially desegregation and Medicare - the were assimilated into the American way of life and the Republican presidents who followed (some objected to his policies), expand and deepened them.
This is a comprehensive book (sometimes exhausting due to tendency to go into the details of the work of Congress) that paints an impressive and coherent picture.
In less than six years he initiated the enactment of the civil rights act, which effectively abolished racial segregation, particularly in the workplace (and the way it was done by chance, also anchored women's rights to equality in the law); Prevent discrimination in voting; brought hundreds of federal laws and programs on social issues, the most important being Medicare, which regulated federal health insurance for the elderly and disabled; And initiated a comprehensive plan to combat poverty.
The book describes how Johnson's attempt to stay politically hawkish and continue the war in Vietnam increased the loss of left wing and young supporters and caused an economic spiral. On the other hand, continuing black riots in the north and east led to the loss of support for the liberal center-right, and ultimately led to his decision not to run again despite his amazing achievements.
Despite strong opposition to the plans of Johnson when they were presented - especially desegregation and Medicare - the were assimilated into the American way of life and the Republican presidents who followed (some objected to his policies), expand and deepened them.
This is a comprehensive book (sometimes exhausting due to tendency to go into the details of the work of Congress) that paints an impressive and coherent picture.
janey's review against another edition
4.0
Just what I was looking for - - a historical account of the forces that combined to enact the Great Society legislation, written recently enough to also include the reverberations through succeeding presidencies.
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