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A review by bryan8063
The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the Great Society by Julian E. Zelizer
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.