Compare the domestic reform goals of Kennedy and Johnson - Essay Example

For this reason, much of the new frontier promises that included urban renewal, federal aid to education, and government-funded health care, could not be realized during his time in office. Nevertheless, JFK managed to raise the minimum wage and establish a domestic program that sent volunteer professionals to Third World countries (Spiller 284). In addition, JFK threw his influence behind an environmental campaign that precipitated the passage of regulatory acts regarding clean air and water.

The campaigned encouraged the federal government investment in environmental issues for the sake of continuity and preservation. With limited success of reforms at the home front, the JFK administration assumed an active and aggressive approach to handle the ever-expanding communism. This justifies the government’s establishment of the Peace Corps to limit communist involvement in Third World countries. Moreover, Kennedy hoped to revive diplomatic relations under such initiatives while supporting the expansion of the military capacity and presence in US interest areas.

During his time in office, Kennedy was faced with major failures in his stand against communist expansion, which are highlighted by the Bay of Pigs invasion (Cuba), construction of the Berlin Wall, and involvement in Vietnam. All the while, the civil rights movement that was established in the late 1950s mostly in the southern states heightened the call for social reforms. The movement was characterized by non-violent means of conflict resolution, where protestors fought for their course through peaceful means.

To address their plight, the civil rights commission presents undisputable facts that indicated substantial disparities at the time, which favored individuals by their race and gender. This particularly applied to African-Americans whose life expectancy was placed 7 years less than that of white Americans, due their value of life. Infant mortality among African-American was twice as greater that of whites and their living conditions were poor due to pre-existing inequalities. African-Americans were considered inferior in a way and were not treated as equals to the rest of society.

The president took it to himself to express his concern on this issues and the need to address them, but was assassinated before he could actualize the passing of the civil rights bill. Lyndon Johnson, Kennedy’s vice president, took over office facing enormous pressure for reforms domestically and on foreign policies. Although the two had similar visions for the country, President Johnson held the capacity to implement reforms based on the new frontier proposal. This is attributed to his belief in active use of power and the effective sail of the national trauma following the death of President Kennedy.

Johnson’s background is indicated as his motivation for social and economic reforms, which provided a unique opportunity to establish reforms labeled the Great Society. Even though he had previously objected to a similar bill, Johnson saw the need to push the 1964 civil rights act, in a bid to improve the living standards of the African-Americans within the United States society. In addition, the legislation guaranteed equal protection to all citizens in accordance to the law by ending racial segregation in schools, workplaces, and public places.

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