The War on Poverty, initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s, aimed to reduce poverty through various programs and policies. It led to the establishment of initiatives like Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, and community action programs, significantly reducing poverty rates in the short term. However, critics argue that it created dependency on government assistance rather than promoting self-sufficiency. While it successfully elevated awareness of poverty issues and implemented measures to address them, challenges remained, and systemic issues persisted, leading to ongoing debates about the effectiveness and sustainability of such programs in the long run.