LBJ's Revenge: The 2008 Election and the Rise of the Great Society Coalition

Abstract

Four decades ago, at the height of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, Congress passed and the president signed landmark legislation to ensure voting rights, liberalize and expand immigration, and make higher education more accessible. In 2008, a coalition of minorities and upscale whites formed a coalition to elect Barack Obama to the White House. Although many of the Great Society goals remain elusive, the new Democratic majority assembled by Obama represents the emergence of a Great Society electoral coalition.

Recommended Citation

Klinkner, Philip A. and Schaller, Thomas (2008) "LBJ's Revenge: The 2008 Election and the Rise of the Great Society Coalition," The Forum: Vol. 6 : Iss. 4, Article 9.
DOI: 10.2202/1540-8884.1269
Available at: http://www.bepress.com/forum/vol6/iss4/art9