Ranking by Domestic Politics Rank of President Explanation1 Lyndon B. Johnson During Johnson's presidency, the federal government significantly expanded its domestic responsibilities in an effort to transform the nation into what Johnson called the “Great Society,” in which poverty and racial intolerance ceased to exist. During this period, a previously unsurpassed amount of legislation was passed; numerous laws were passed to protect the environment, ensure consumer safety, reduce inequity in education, improve housing in urban areas, provide greater assistance to the elderly with health care and other policies to improve welfare Johnson has called for a “War on Poverty” and has allocated more funds to help the poor; government spending on the poor increased from six billion in 1964 to twenty-four and a half billion dollars in 1968. Johnson not only improved the American economy and significantly reduced poverty, but also supported the racial equality; managed to convince Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, making segregation in public housing/institutions illegal. He also enacted the Voting Rights Act of 1965, banning literacy tests in areas where the number of voters was less than a certain number, forcing many Southern states to allow more blacks to vote. As a result of his presidency, the poor and minorities enjoyed significant benefits from America's most favorable legislation and most successful legislation.2 Harry S. Truman Truman's domestic policy accomplishments were impressive, considering the difficulties facing the nation was going through during World War II. ended, and the resistance of Congress (made up largely of Republicans and conservatives) to liberalism. The President managed to get through… halfway through the document… (accessed 3 May 2014).10. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library. “The Second American Revolution: Reaganomics.” Reagan Foundation. http://www.reaganfoundation.org/economic-policy.aspx (accessed May 2, 2014).11. United States Senate. “Lyndon Baines Johnson.” United States and the Senate: art and history. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/Lyndon_Johnson.htm (accessed May 2, 2014).12. US Department of State. "A Brief History of the State Department: Foreign Policy under President Eisenhower." Historian's Office. https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/short-history/eisenhower (accessed May 2, 2014).13. US Department of State. "A Brief History of the State Department: Nixon's Foreign Policy." Historian's Office. http://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/short-history/nixon-foreignpolicy (accessed May 3, 2014).