What were the major differences between the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson and that of Ronald Reagan? Any similarities?

There were some differences between the Johnson and the Reagan presidencies. The main difference was the role government would play in our lives. President Johnson wanted to launch a series of programs as part of the Great Society. These programs expanded the role of the government. Programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act were ways President Johnson increased the role of government. President Reagan, on the other hand, believed the government played too big of a role in our lives. He proposed cutting social programs and lowering taxes. There were fewer government rules and regulations as deregulation was common during the Reagan years. Less money was provided for school lunch programs, and some student loan programs were cut.

Both presidents fought communism. President Johnson was far less successful than President Reagan. Vietnam became a very unpopular war while Johnson was president. There were major protests against our involvement in the Vietnam War. Reagan believed we needed to increase our military strength and power to fight communism. President Reagan’s “peace through strength” philosophy was one that he felt the Soviet Union couldn’t afford to match. He was far more successful in dealing with communism than President Johnson. President Reagan laid the groundwork for the collapse of communism.

Both President Johnson and President Reagan wanted to be known as great leaders. President Johnson’s Great Society program was modeled after President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal program. President Reagan wanted to be known as the president who restored American prestige and military might throughout the world. Both presidencies had differences, yet, at the same time, some similarities.