Reassessing the Johnson Presidency

The purpose of this thesis is to show that a hegemonic discourse has developed through the literature based on Lyndon Baines Johnson. This thesis also serves to challenge the discourse that has developed through the use of Archival research in order to gain a more informed understanding of the legacy of LBJ. To test this hypothesis, the existing literature has been examined and organised into primary and secondary(those who knew Johnson and those who did not)this allows us to establish if a discourse has developed, how it has developed and how it affects our perception of the Johnson Presidency. Secondly, Archival sources and data are used to challenge the hegemonic discourse that has developed. It is apparent that by conducting this research, the hegemonic discourse is mainly developed and perpetuated through secondary literature. When looking at the archival sources, it is apparent that this discourse is underdeveloped and omits key features of the Johnson Presidency that could drastically alter our perception of his time in office and ultimately his legacy as a President of the United States.