Harding Undergraduate Research Conference

Document Type

Research Paper

Date of presentation

Spring 4-17-2026

Department

History & Political Science

Faculty Advisor

Mrs. Laing

Abstract

This paper examines the differences between the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Great Society of Lyndon B. Johnson, challenging the prevailing interpretation that the latter administration was the logical continuation of the former. Through comparative historical analysis of policy and rhetoric, the research finds that, despite clear similarities such as expanded government involvement and social welfare programs, the two initiatives diverged significantly. The New Deal prioritized economic recovery through short-term job creation while often tolerating or reinforcing racial inequality. In contrast, the Great Society directly confronted systemic racism and struck at the roots of poverty through education, job training, and civil rights legislation. These findings imply that the Great Society should be understood not as the culmination of New Deal liberalism, but as a distinct and more socially progressive policy framework. This distinction is important because it revisits a widely accepted narrative in American political and social history by offering a more nuanced understanding of these liberal reform movements, with particular focus on approaches to race and poverty.

Copyright held by

author

Download

Share

COinS