Changes

==Senate years==

==Senate years==

In 1948, Johnson ran in another controversial Senate race, this time against former governor Coke Stevenson.  After no candidate won a majority of the votes in the election, Johnson defeated Stevenson in a run-off election.  The result of this election was highly controversial, most historians, even those sympathetic to Johnson consider Johnson's 87 vote victory over Stevenson to be fraudulent <ref>See eg Robert A Caro Master of the ''Senate Means of Assent''</ref>  .  After joining the Senate, Johnson established relationships with several senior senators, including [[Richard Russell]].  Johnson was appointed to the powerful [[Armed Services Committee]] in 1950, and became chairman of the preparedness subcommittee which brought him into the public spotlight.  He became the leader of the [[Democratic Party]] in the Senate in 1953.  In his capacity as Majority leader of the senate, Johnson was able to ensure the passage of the 1957 Civil Rights Act, the first passed since Reconstruction, by carefully balancing the powerful southern wing of the Democratic party with the liberal northern and Eastern Wing.  Johnson sought the Democratic nomination for president prior to the [[United States presidential election, 1960|1960 election]], but accepted the nomination for vice-president following Kennedy's nomination.

In 1948, Johnson ran in another controversial Senate race, this time against former governor Coke Stevenson.  After no candidate won a majority of the votes in the election, Johnson defeated Stevenson in a run-off election.  The result of this election was highly controversial, most historians, even those sympathetic to Johnson consider Johnson's 87 vote victory over Stevenson to be fraudulent <ref>See eg Robert A Caro Master of the ''Senate Means of Assent''</ref>  .  After joining the Senate, Johnson established relationships with several senior senators, including [[Richard Russell]].  Johnson was appointed to the powerful [[Armed Services Committee]] in 1950, and became chairman of the Preparedness Subcommittee which brought him into the public spotlight much like [[Harry Truman]] used the "Truman Committee" during the Second World War.  He became the leader of the [[Democratic Party]] in the Senate in 1953.  His first major policy, with the support of Russell, was to bypass the Seniority rule in committee assignments, which meant that Senators became reliant on his favour in order to obtain positions on important committees.  This move, in combination with his strong personality gave him power of senators that had not been seen before (or since) in Senate History.  He is often referred to as the only true "Master of the Senate". 

 

In his capacity as Majority leader of the senate, Johnson was able to ensure the passage of the 1957 Civil Rights Act, the first passed since Reconstruction, by carefully balancing the powerful southern wing of the Democratic party with the liberal northern and Eastern Wing.  Johnson sought the Democratic nomination for president prior to the [[United States presidential election, 1960|1960 election]], but accepted the nomination for vice-president following Kennedy's nomination.

==Presidency==

==Presidency==