Great Society Speech Analysis

Lyndon Johnson was convinced that liberal nationalism and the power of the federal government could transform society. His faith grew out of his youthful experiences with poverty in Texas, his political apprenticeship during the New Deal, and his desire to surpass Roosevelt's legacy. When he took office in November 1963, after John F. Kennedy's death, Johnson inherited the early initiatives to address poverty that the Kennedy administration had under consideration. With characteristic enthusiasm and expansiveness, Johnson declared a war on poverty in 1964 and pushed legislation through Congress to establish the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO).In this speech, the purpose Lyndon B. Johnson outlines his vision and goals for "The Great Society," a massive web of government programs and legislation aimed at societal improvement and progress. This speech was given during the University of Michigan's graduation commencement ceremony on May 22, 1964 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The speech that was delivered was persuasive, however the intended audience (college graduates) has yet explored the world to fully grasp the level of maturity to devote oneself to Johnson's plan of action.
The actual speech starts out with a formal address to the Governor of the state of Michigan, the state senators and congressman, and the members of the University of Michigan who probably all played a part in getting Johnson to speak at the commencement. The speech that Johnson gave at the University of Michigan commencement ceremony was not a normal commencement speech. This speech had a purpose. It was almost like an advertisement for the programs that he was introducing, and how they would help these graduates and all other Americans achieve a better quality of life at the present time and in the future. The speech was also aimed towards educator's to continue the ideals spreading to future generations to come. The speech reaches out to a wide variety of people, but some citizens that this

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