Summary & Analysis

Questions

1. What were young Americans protesting during the 1960s?

2. What policies best show the spirit of idealism that permeated the 1960s?

3. What were some of the criticisms of the 1960s movements?

Answers

1. The conventional lifestyles of contemporary America -- materialism, consumerism, the focus on success, the racial and sexual inequalities of the day, unthinking tradition, and compromise.

2. Johnson's "Great Society" policies: war against poverty, protection for the poor and elderly, and education opportunities for all, as seen in Medicare, Medicaid, VISTA, Head Start, federal college scholarships, and the Office of Economic Opportunity.

3. Some were pro-segregation, others preferred small government, and some were queasy about alternate lifestyles or ideas.