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AP®HistoryCollege BoardUS HistoryExam QuestionsPeriod 8: 1945-1980The Great Society

The Great Society (College Board AP® US History): Exam Questions

3 mins3 questions
11 mark

"To achieve the Great Society would mean social conflict, and Johnson would have to choose between consensus or his cherished vision. But the president did not see things that way; he believed to the end that both were possible. He did so... because he confused consensus with the consent of the governed."

John A. Andrew III, Lyndon Johnson and the Great Society, 1998

The Great Society programs faced significant challenges in achieving their goals due to

  •  The economic recession of the late 1950s

  • Resistance from Southern Democrats to federal intervention in civil rights

  • The strain of funding the Vietnam War

  • Opposition from the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren

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21 mark

"To achieve the Great Society would mean social conflict, and Johnson would have to choose between consensus or his cherished vision. But the president did not see things that way; he believed to the end that both were possible. He did so... because he confused consensus with the consent of the governed."

John A. Andrew III, Lyndon Johnson and the Great Society, 1998

Which criticism of the Great Society programs most directly reflects the idea that Johnson "confused consensus with the consent of the governed"?

  • The Great Society initiatives failed to address the root causes of inequality

  • The initiatives emphasized economic reforms but neglected civil rights concerns

  • Programs were implemented without adequate local input or grassroots support

  • The programs focused too heavily on urban areas and neglected rural communities

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31 mark

"To achieve the Great Society would mean social conflict, and Johnson would have to choose between consensus or his cherished vision. But the president did not see things that way; he believed to the end that both were possible. He did so... because he confused consensus with the consent of the governed."

John A. Andrew III, Lyndon Johnson and the Great Society, 1998

Which of the following long-term debates in U.S. history is most reflected in the social conflict surrounding the Great Society?

  • Debates over states’ rights versus federal authority during Reconstruction

  • Debates between progressive reformers and conservatives over government intervention

  • Debates surrounding federal involvement in education and healthcare policy

  • Debates over the role of the federal government in addressing social inequality

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