Final answer:
The Great Society programs were enacted through President Johnson's political leadership and the era's economic wealth, aiming to address poverty and racial injustice with legislative measures like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and various social welfare initiatives.
Step-by-step explanation:
The passage of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society programs was made possible primarily through his skillful political maneuvering and the utilization of the nation's economic prosperity at the time.
The Great Society aimed to eliminate poverty and racial injustice, which included a variety of initiatives such as public housing development, affordable housing, healthcare through the creation of Medicare, and educational funding and reforms like the Higher Education Act. Key legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were instrumental in advancing civil rights, while the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 addressed job creation and poverty reduction.
Johnson's mastery of the legislative process and the broad Congressional support, largely stemming from the Democratic majority in Congress and the public's demand for social progress following the civil rights movement, were crucial for the enactment of these transformative policies.