Politics and Policy: The Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson Years

James Sundquist

Brookings Institution Press, Dec 1, 2010 - Political Science - 560 pages

Sundquist clearly and engagingly traces the development of many programs in what would become Johnson's Great Society as they developed over three presidential administrations. Education reform, poverty, the environment, social services and more are shown rising from America's post-war boom but taking years, and often much effort, to come into being. This history is more complete than even many individual accounts of given programs as it examines presidential influence, public opinion, changes in Congress, the rise and fall of interest groups, and how each can lead or be led by the others.

Contents

• From Gloom to Euphoria: 3
• For the Unemployed Jobs An Activist Fiscal Policy: 13
• The First Test: 15
• The Second Test: 20
• The Partisan Conflict Hardens: 29
• Economics Versus Politics: 34
• Fiscal Activism Prevails: 40
• For the Unemployed Jobs Structural Measures: 57
• The Area Redevelopment Deadlock: 60
• Other Measures Take Form: 73
• Kennedy Breaks the Deadlock: 83
• The Appalachian Experiment: 97
• The Public Works and Economic Development Act: 105
• For the Poor Opportunity: 111
• Failure and Ferment: 114
• The War Is Declared: 134
• For the Young Schools: 155
• Years of Frustration: 156
• The National Defense Education Act: 173
• More Years of Frustration: 180
• The Education Crisis Reaches College: 195
• Education Becomes a National Responsibility: 205
• For Minorities Equal Rights: 221
• Historic Breakthrough: 222
• Victory For Moderation: 238
• The Rejection of Moderation: 250
• Campaign Promisesand Legislative Priorities: 254
• Birminghamand the Third Civil Rights Act: 259
• Selmaand the Fourth Civil Rights Act: 271
• Black Powerand the Bill That Failed: 275
• Beyond Opportunity to Achievement: 283
• For the Old Health Care: 287
• Groping for Position: 291
• The Rise of a National Issue: 296
• The Struggle for Consensus: 308
• For All a Better Outdoor Environment: 322
• The Dispute over the Federal Role: 323
• The Acceptance of Federal Responsibility: 345
• Beauty for America: 361
• Ideas and Parties: 385
• Democratic Initiative: 389
• Table 1 Party Initiative and Response Major Legislative Measures 155360: 390
• Republican Response: 415
• Ideas and Elections: 430
• The 195354 Recessionand the Democratic Resurgence: 431
• Public Response to Activism: 441
• Public Response to the Republican Appeal: 452
• The Issues and the Elections 1958 and 1960: 456
• The Kennedy Mandate: 466
• Ideas and Laws: 471
• The Democratic Program Blocked: 473
• The Democratic Program Unblocked: 481
• Development of New Measures: 489
• Ebbing of the Tide: 496
• Toward More Responsive Government: 506
• Congressional Reform: 512
• Party Realignment: 523
• The Agenda of Activism: 536
• INDEX: 541

Bibliographic information

• Title: Politics and Policy: The Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson Years
• Author: James Sundquist
• Publisher: Brookings Institution Press, 2010
• ISBN: 0815719094, 9780815719090
• Length: 560 pages
• Subjects: History / United States / 20th Century; Political Science / American Government / Executive Branch