Which act is commonly associated with the War on Poverty?

• A. Social Security Act
• B. Civil Rights Act
• C. Economic Opportunity Act of 1964
• D. Elementary and Secondary Education Act

Answer: (C)

The focus is on federal efforts to reduce poverty in the 1960s, which the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 embodies as a central tool of the War on Poverty. This act created the Office of Economic Opportunity to coordinate a range of programs aimed at expanding opportunity for low‑income Americans, such as Job Corps for job training, VISTA for volunteer service, and Head Start for early childhood education. By establishing these community‑based initiatives, it directly ties to the goal of reducing poverty and expanding opportunities, which is what the War on Poverty sought to accomplish. The other acts shaped different policy areas—Social Security Act broadened welfare foundations earlier, Civil Rights Act tackled discrimination, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act funded education—so they aren’t the primary instruments associated with the War on Poverty.