In his January 1964 State of the Union address, President Lyndon B. Johnson called for an “unconditional war on poverty in America.” This speech set the moral and policy frame for what soon became the Great Society: using federal programs to reduce poverty and expand opportunity.
Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, a landmark law that banned segregation in many public places and barred discrimination in employment. By targeting discrimination in jobs and public accommodations, it supported Great Society goals by expanding access to work and services that affect family income and health.
Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act, the central law of the War on Poverty. It created the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) and backed programs such as Job Corps, VISTA, and Community Action agencies, aiming to combine job training, local services, and community planning to reduce poverty.
Johnson signed the Food Stamp Act, establishing a permanent, federally supported food assistance program run with states. This tackled one of poverty’s most immediate effects—hunger—while also helping stabilize demand for agricultural products.
Johnson signed the Appalachian Regional Development Act, creating the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The law reflected a Great Society strategy of “place-based” development—building roads and supporting projects aimed at long-term economic growth in a high-poverty region.
Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), a major expansion of federal involvement in K–12 education. By directing resources to school districts—especially those serving low-income children—the law linked education policy directly to anti-poverty goals.
Johnson signed the Older Americans Act, creating a federal framework to support services for older adults through states and local providers. It helped build programs such as community meals and supportive services, reinforcing the Great Society idea that economic security should include dignity in old age.
Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments of 1965, which created Medicare and Medicaid. These programs expanded health insurance to older adults and many low-income people, reducing the risk that illness would push families deeper into poverty.
Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, prohibiting racial discrimination in voting and enabling stronger federal enforcement. Expanding political participation mattered for Great Society and anti-poverty programs because it increased the ability of excluded communities to influence public services and resource decisions.
Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (Hart–Celler Act) at the Statue of Liberty. By replacing the older quota system based on national origins, it changed who could immigrate to the United States, with long-term effects on the country’s population, labor force, and community life.
Johnson signed the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act, launching the Model Cities program. It aimed to bring housing, job, and social-service efforts together in selected neighborhoods, responding to the idea that poverty in cities was tied to both people’s needs and the physical condition of neighborhoods.
Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act, establishing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to support noncommercial educational television and radio. This reflected a Great Society emphasis on education and public access to information through nationally supported cultural and learning institutions.
Congress passed, and Johnson signed, the Civil Rights Act of 1968, whose Title VIII is widely known as the Fair Housing Act. It aimed to reduce discrimination in renting and selling homes, addressing a key driver of poverty and inequality: segregation and unequal access to safe neighborhoods, schools, and jobs.
After years of political conflict over the War on Poverty’s structure and authority, the Office of Economic Opportunity was renamed and reorganized as the Community Services Administration (CSA). This change marked a shift away from the Great Society’s original institutional design, even as many individual programs continued under other agencies.
Great Society and the War on Poverty (1964–1970)