what was the great society 
the great society was a set of domestic policy initiatives programs and legislation introduced in the 1960s in the u s these great society programs were intended to reduce poverty levels reduce racial injustice reduce crime and improve the environment great society policies were launched by then president lyndon b johnson between 1964 and 1965 johnson first laid out his plan for what he coined a great society during a speech at the university of michigan johnson vowed that this collection of programs would lead to an end to poverty and racial injustice 1although johnson s policies and programs targeted education workforce training healthcare food security and voting and civil rights they were centrist in their approach understanding the great societythe initiatives that comprised the great society have been compared in their scope and their intent to president franklin d roosevelt s new deal programs enacted in the u s between 1933 and 1939 2the great society is considered one of the most extensive social reform plans in modern history in addition johnson s efforts helped establish greater civil and voting rights greater environmental protections and increased aid to public schools great society programsin march 1964 johnson introduced the office of economic opportunity and the economic opportunity act to congress johnson wanted to address the underprivileged members of the u s by creating a job corps he also asked state and local governments to develop work training programs a national work study program provided funding for 140 000 americans to attend college other initiatives included community action programs government sponsored programs that trained volunteers to serve poor communities loans to employers to hire the unemployed funding for agricultural co ops and help for parents re entering the workforce 3