People Power

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By the mid 1960's, many in the U.S. had become disillusioned with the promises of progress made by John F. Kennedy upon his election. In 1964, when the draft was introduced for the Vietnam War, many younger Americans joined the anti-war movement and began protesting supported by prominent intellectuals and musicians of the day. These protests combined with the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, The Feminine Mystique and second-wave feminism, and the Stonewall Riots at the end of the decade created a strong opposition to the establishment at large. "Power to the People," became the rallying cry of the 1960's. On the possibilities and shortcomings of people's power, Walter Lippmann wrote, "What then are the true boundaries of the people's power?...They can elect the government. They can remove it."