Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Government & Politics Analysis of The Great Society Analysis of The Great Society The Great Society, a program created by president Johnson in the 1960’s with the intent of social and economic stabilization, brought much reform to the American Government and it’s citizens. It is a continuation and expansion of the ideas expressed in Roosevelt’s “New Deal” with the intentions of not only providing greater welfare but also equality of all races in all aspects of society. Although there were many accomplishments by the program, it is a direct violation of the constitution and should have never been allowed. The Constitution was designed to outline the scope of governmental authority and establishing the basic arrangement and powers of the Federal government. Although it contains many limitations of powers to the National Government, it favors national authority. In essence, it transferred important powers from the states to the central government, such as the power to coin money and raise or national defense. These powers were ones that the states exercised ineffectively or failed to exercise at all. The national government while strong was also to be limited. The Federal government’s powers and limitations are provided in the document. When examining the Great Society it must be understood that the Federal Government is acting. The program itself was proposed by the President, which falls under the executive branch. Its goal was to provide the protection of Civil rights and social welfare. Although the program had positive goals, it also posed threats to our liberty. The quest for Civil rights had been fought over since the birth of our nation, it has always been the downside of America. This problem was solved by the Civil Rights acts of the 1960’s and the goals of the Great Society. Unfortunately, the Great Society wanted direct government involvement in the lives of its citizens and the power to distribute income through programs such as welfare and Medicare. These tasks were not intended for Federal Government, and are not within the powers granted to them in the constitution. The Judicial system should have found Johnson’s intentions unconstitutional, but instead failed to keep its function in the “separation of powers.” The task of providing welfare and help to the poor should not fall under the Federal Government but with the local governments of the states. It would be beneficial to the integrity of the community and also increase the involvement of the people in their government. The American people must realize that by granting the Federal Government powers to provide social benefits like Social Security and Medicare, gives the federal government power to tax us and directly take rights away from the jurisdiction of the people. In essence we have less input in our destiny. The individual citizen has very little control of what happens in the Federal government, this is caused by a lack of representation. The more powers we give to this entity, the less liberty we define for ourselves. Jefferson stressed this concept, and hoped it would never happen. If Liberty is the privilege of living under a constitutionally limited government and having input in the laws we live under. We obviously have more input in our local governments, so they should be the ones which responsible with things life social welfare, and community projects. The Great Society clearly takes rights away from the people, and gives the government powers of which it has no right to have under the constitution. It is exactly what Washington was describing in his farewell address by the words “let there be no change by usurpation, for though this, in one instance may be the instrument of good, its is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed” Programs such as “The Great Society” and the “New Deal” have taken the power away from the people and given it to the government. Creating a socialistic democracy, not a republic governed by the people. We must preserve the powers of the State government and fight to limit those of the Federal government in order to preserve freedom. Bibliography: Word Count: 670
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