Johnson succeeded to the presidency following the assassination of John F. Kennedy and was elected by a large margin in 1964. As President, he designed the “Great Society” legislation that upheld civil rights, Public Broadcasting, Medicare, Medicaid, and his “War on Poverty.” He was renowned for his domineering personality and his coercion of politicians to advance legislation.

He greatly escalated American involvement in the Vietnam War. As the war dragged on, Johnson's popularity as President steadily declined. He withdrew from the 1968 United States presidential election as a result of turmoil within the Democratic Party related to opposition to the Vietnam War. Despite the failures of his foreign policy, Johnson is ranked favorably by some historians because of his domestic policies.