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Handout B: Great Society Laws and Programs

Handout B: Great Society Laws and Programs

Directions: Research one of the laws or programs listed below. Use the “Questions to Consider” to write an essay in which you explain the law or program, and make an argument as to whether the law was or was not constitutional.

  • Economic Opportunity Act of 1964
  • Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964
  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
  • Higher Education Act of 1965
  • Social Security Act of 1965
  • National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966
  • Highway Safety Act of 1966
  • Public Broadcasting Act of 1967
  • Truth-in-Lending Act of 1968
  • Bilingual Education Act of 1968

Questions to Consider

  1. What was the law’s goal?
  2. What programs were put in place under this law?
  3. What were arguments for/against the program?
  4. What was the outcome of the law? Did it meet its goal?
  5. Is this law/program still in place? If not, why was it repealed or discontinued? If so, what arguments exist in favor/against its continuation
  6. Do you believe this law is/was constitutional?