Complete 2 pages APA formatted article: Human services legislation. War on Poverty 1965 al Affiliation The war on poverty is a given to a legislation that was proposed by President Lyndon Johnson of t

Complete 2 pages APA formatted article: Human services legislation. War on Poverty 1965 al Affiliation The war on poverty is a given to a legislation that was proposed by President Lyndon Johnson of the United States. He proposed this legislation during a state of union address. The war on poverty legislation of 1965 had a number of key objectives such as to stamp out poverty, curb urban problems as well as provide better transportation, education and health care. The senate committee on labor and public welfare was to examine the legislation. The legislation’s main objective was to reduce the poverty line to the lowest percentage. Over time, the poverty level was increasing at a rapid rate, which made the Johnson administration to come up with a program that would be run by the government to try and reduce the poverty level. The legislation worked out well because the poverty level was greatly reduced over time to a lower level. Expounding on the war on poverty will paint a clear picture on the impact and benefits of the legislation.

Keywords: war on poverty, legislation, United States, poverty, education, healthcare, jobs

Introduction

The war on poverty is a legislation that was pioneered by United States president Johnson Lyndon in a state address. Johnson proposed the legislation in response to the rising poverty rates. The proposal allowed the United States congress to pass the economic opportunity act which then instituted the office of economic opportunity to oversee the local application of funds aimed against poverty. Johnson believed in increasing the government’s roles in reducing poverty and bettering education and health care as strategies of reducing the poverty rates. Johnson had an aim of not to cure the symptoms of poverty, but to cure it and above all, to prevent it.

What caused the legislation to be created and enacted?

During Johnson’s administration hearing before the select committee on poverty of the committee on labor and public welfare, President Johnson decided that the United States was not going to put up with the increasing poverty rates anymore (Zarefsky, 1986). The notion was that prosperity alone was not going to get rid of the increasing poverty rates. Johnson emphasized that the war on poverty would create job opportunities, and also lead to planning and organization of resources, to break the cycle of poverty in communities.

The social problems at the time

The main social problems were poor education and health care, lack of job opportunities, poor transportation and urban problems. According to Phelps, this is why President Johnson found it more convenient to curb those social problems in order to fight poverty in a more orderly manner (2014). This is especially because poverty is related to issues such as lack of education, jobs, proper healthcare among others.

The legislation

The war on poverty generally means a set of programs proposed by President Johnson, which were then passed by the congress, and later on implemented by his cabinet agencies. The main idea was to fight poverty from its root causes rather than trying to treat the outcomes it brought about.

Who was it intended to help? What are the underlying goals?

The main goal of the legislation was to eliminate racial injustice and poverty. The legislation was to contain new spending programs that focused on health care, education urban problems and transportation. Johnson knew that by focusing on the underlying issues, poverty would be reduced by a greater percentage.

Legacy of the legislation

Following the introduction of the war on poverty, poverty rates dropped to their lowest level in the United States. Since Johnson’s administration, funds have been spent on social welfare and they have been so far helpful to most citizens. In recent years however, poverty rates have been rising.

How things were different after the legislation was passed in the field of human services

The poverty level after the government got involved in the fight against poverty was noted to have been gradually decreasing. This meant that people were receiving better health care and good education (Bailey & Danziger, 2013).

Conclusion

With the war on poverty law of 1965, President Johnson’s administration had come up with a well formulated program to fight poverty from its root causes. It can be said that the legislation was a success because poverty was greatly reduced in the United States.

Reference List

Bailey, M. J. & Danziger, S. (2013). Legacies of the War on Poverty. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.

Phelps, Wesley G. (2014). A Peoples War on Poverty: Urban Politics and Grassroots Actitivists in Houston. Anthens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press.

Zarefsky, D. (1986). President Johnsons War on Poverty: Rhetoric and History.