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Liberalism and the Great Society
The American economy boomed throughout the 1950s and 1960s, but the continued existence of tens of millions of people living in poverty convinced the government that more could be done to support the poor. The liberalism of the post-World War II period could be considered a return to the principles of the New Deal: more government support for the poor and a greater expansion of civil rights for those facing discrimination. Frustrated with the struggles of Vietnam, President Johnson’s domestic policies, called the Great Society, were the culmination of these ideas, as it attempted to wage a “War on Poverty” in the form of numerous public aid programs:
Medicare and Medicaid provided health insurance for the elderly and low-income households.
Head Start and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provided federal funds for preschool and struggling school districts.
Job Corps and the newly-established Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sought to provide work and housing for millions.
New Civil Liberties
As part of this spirit of liberalism, the Warren Court, presided by Chief Justice Earl Warren, ruled on a series of cases that vastly expanded civil liberties:
Gideon v. Wainwright ruled that all defendants, not just those charged with a federal crime, had the right to an attorney.
Miranda v. Arizona ruled that the police were required to “read the rights” to those they arrested to ensure they were aware of their constitutional rights.
Loving v. Virginia overturned laws banning interracial marriage.
Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in all states for the first trimester (12 weeks) of pregnancy, though states had some discretion on limitations after. This ruling would be later overturned in 2022.
The Counterculture and New Left
The spirit of liberalism felt by many in the 1960s extended to youth culture as well. The Baby Boomers were growing up, pushing back against the conformity and consumerism of the American society they had been raised in. Some became hippies—an informal name for members of the new “counterculture” (similar to that of the Beatniks)—and grew out their hair, indulged in recreational drug use, or dropped out of society to live in communes or other communities of like-minded people. More politically minded Boomers became part of the New Left, a movement dedicated to social and political change. They pushed against the extreme inequalities in the American economy, preferring a more socialist outlook. Their goal was also to fight for greater freedom of speech and expression and an end to what they saw as unnecessary interventions in other nations, especially Vietnam. The best-known New Left group was the Students for a Democratic Society, which would become the focal point on college campuses for the Vietnam protest movement.
