An Analysis Of Urban Housing Policy During The Kennedy-Johnson Years

America enjoyed widespread prosperity and international prestige during theKennedy-Johnson years. As one of the two super-powers in the world, and with theadvancement of technology, it was able to offer a majority of its citizens acomfortable middle-class life. However, amid the wealth and prosperity of the country,there still existed appalling poverty among its people. As the name of MichaelHarrington’s book suggested, there existed The Other America.Meanwhile, America was conducting a cold war with the Soviet Union and a hotwar with Vietnam. It became all the more necessary and urgent for the country tosolve its domestic problems before it played “World Police” in the world. Therefore,to alleviate the poverty problem, the Kennedy administration and the Johnsonadministration started a series of urban housing policies as part of the povertyalleviation efforts.The scholars in China conducted studies on this topic primarily from a macroprospective, discussing the housing policies as part of the social welfare program.Although their studies helped people to gain a broad view of the housing policies,such efforts failed to discuss and explain the housing policies in details. Therefore,this thesis attempts to examine and analyze the federal housing policies in theKennedy and Johnson years from a micro perspective, not only comparing theiradvantages and disadvantages but assessing their developments and changes as well.In the Introduction part, the significance of this study, literature review, researchmethodology and the structure of this thesis are provided and explained. Then,Chapter One basically discusses and analyzes America’s economic and social status inthe mid-20th century, the racial relations, and the problems the then existing federalhousing policies faced. Chapter Two examines the efforts and achievements Kennedymade in federal housing policies during his tenure, as well as his legacy to hissuccessor, President Johnson. Chapter Three discusses the federal housing policies ofthe Johnson administration, examining and assessing both his achievements andfailures. In the Conclusion part, the thesis points out that due to the capitalist nature of the American economic system, due to the strong political opposition of theconservative force, and due to the long-held cultural values such as self-reliance andlimited government, the two administrations could only partially solve thelow-income housing problem. To alleviate poverty entirely, it would require the timeand efforts of many generations to come.