On Jan. 4, 1965, in his State of the Union address, President Lyndon B. Johnson outlined the goals of "the Great Society," a set of domestic programs designed to advance civil rights and aid those in poverty. The New York Times described Johnson's plans: "He requested "doubling the war against poverty this year" and called for new emphasis on area redevelopment, further efforts at retraining unskilled workers, an improvement in the unemployment compensation system and an extension of the minimum wage floor to two million workers now unprotected by it. ... He called for new, improved or bigger programs in attacking physical and mental disease, urban blight, water and air pollution, and crime and delinquency." President Johnson had introduced his vision of a "great society" in a May 22, 1964 speech: "The great society rests on abundance and liberty for all. It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice, to which we are totally committed in our time. The Great Society legislation included "War on Poverty" programs, many created under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which established jobs and youth volunteer programs as well as Head Start, which provided pre-school education for poor children. Johnson's social welfare legislation also consisted of the formation of Medicare and Medicaid, which offered health care services for citizens over 65 and low-income citizens, respectively. In addition, the Great Society included the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Voting Rights Act of 1968. The program also addressed a wide range of societal needs, such as funding for the arts, environmental protection and urban development,. Johnson's hopes for a Great Society were undermined by the war in Vietnam, which forced restrictions on domestic spending and destroyed his popularity. He chose not to run for re-election, and many of his Great Society programs were cut by subsequent administrations. Parts of the Great Society did have a lasting impact, however, most notably the civil rights legislation and the creation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Johnson's social welfare programs were the most contentious aspect of the Great Society. The issue of social welfare remains controversial today, particularly as increasing numbers of Americans slip under the poverty line. In 2010, The Times Room for Debate series addressed the topic of rising poverty in the U.S. In your opinion, in what ways does U.S. society today reflect Johnson's vision of "liberty and abundance for all"? How would you compare "poverty and racial injustice" today to 1965? If you were to create your own set of "Great Society" programs in 2012, which issues would you like to address and why? Learn more about what happened in history on January 4