The Failure Of Ambition In Lyndon Baines Johnson's Presidency

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Many of Johnson’s opposers neglect the fact that the achievements Johnson made during his presidency were a result of the ambition he had for the people of the U.S. Johnson had a humble background and had to work his way up to the presidency ("Lyndon Baines Johnson" 2). From a young age, he felt inadequate in comparison to the upper class because of his lack of wealth ("Lyndon Baines Johnson” 3). Due to his feelings of inadequacy, he worked restlessly at climbing the ranks of society and gaining influence among the wealthy. Once he gained power and became president, he decided to help underprivileged and discriminated people because he felt empathy for their circumstances (“Lyndon,” PBS). Johnson’s Great Society and all the legislation he passed during his presidency …show more content…

His support for the space program goes back to his Senate days where he was in support of it despite Eisenhower’s lack of interest. The first two manned mission, Apollo 7, and the first manned flight to the moon, Apollo 8, were successfully completed by the end of Johnson’s presidency. His ambition kept the space program going even amidst the controversy of the entire Apollo 1 crew dying in a cabin fire during a spacecraft test (“Lyndon,” The White House). Another one of Johnson’s most ambitious feats was the “War on Poverty.” In it, he declared war against the poverty plaguing the “Other America.” It created the Social Security Amendments of 1965, the Food Stamp Act of 1964, the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Johnson 2). When Johnson took over the presidency, 22% of America was in poverty. However, after he left, the rate dropped down to 13% (Krueger 1). His ambition was so great that he started a war against an invisible enemy and successfully improved America. His ambition is the main factor behind all the accomplishments of his

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