What were the goals/policies of the Johnson administration and how did they impact the nation

I think it is all summarized in what became a very famous statement he made.

He was not the first person to use the statement nor was he the last.

The statement was: "We can have Guns and Butter."

The army in Vietnam reached over 500000 when the statement was first made. But Johnson had misjudged the mood of those who were going to have to fight and die (college students), who for the most part opposed Vietnam. Johnson wanted victory in Vietnam but also had domestic problems he had to deal with.

In general, America has fought 3 wars that the public were not altogether sold on fighting: Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. It took immense pressure to consent to each of these engagements.