Eisenhower's Domestic Policy-1950s Boom

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GNP from 1950-1960
$355.3 billion to $487.76
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Median family income and spedning power by 1960
$5620 gave 30% more speding power than in 1950
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Cost of living and factory wages rise (1953-7)
Living rose by 2.8%, wages by 8.6%
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Why the economy grew
US emerged from WWII in a better economic shape than rivals, American industry and transportation industry benefitted from cheap oil, investement in research led to technological advances that increased productivity and the baby boom encouraged buyin
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What was the population increase 1950-1960
151.7 million to 180.7 million
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How many new Houses were built 1948-1958 due to the shortage
13million, 11m of which in the suburbs-employment and the American Dream
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White Flight
Suburban growth led white americans to escape cities from high taxes, crowded accomidation and growing ghettos leaving AAs in the cities
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Levittown 1947
Primarily for young veterans, 17,000 homes, 80,000 residents, 7 vilage greens and shopping centres, 9 swimming pools, 2 bowling alleys, rules eg. weeekly lawn mowing
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Levittown Pricess and popularity
People queued to buy them. Priced at $8000(2.5 times the average family income), well built and building plots 2x normal size
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Big Three (Cars manufacturers in Detroit)
General Motors, Ford and Chrysler
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1955 cars made and scrapped and impact
7.9m made, 4.9m scrapped. Demonstarted status, made lives easier, freedom to live in suburbs.
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On the road culture
Cheap accomidation eg. 1952- first Holiday Inn opened in Memphis. Rural Us covered by roads, motels, restaurants, stores, neon signs, ads-Service jobs
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How many McDonalds by 1960
228
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Blue to white collar workers by 1960
7.6 million service workers and 21.2 white-collar workers outnumbered the 25.6 million blue collared workers
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How did the proportion of industry workers change due to automation
39% to 36% of the workforce
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Why were people pleased by the consumer society
Increased purchasing power made lives easier-cars, washing machinees, dishwashers. Mass media spread this image
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Criticisms of consumer society
Underminded traditional american values such as hard work and careful money management, grossly materialistic and cared little about the poor
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How many homes had at least one TV by 1960
90%
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What % of people said TV watching was their favourite activity
50%
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Criticism of TV:Conformity
Family sitcoms promoted it when they portrayed domestic bliss of white, middle-class suburban familes with stay-at home mothers as the ideal
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Criticism of TV:Consumerism
Non-stop ADs and programme content suggested must have products
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Amount spent on ADs 1950-1960
$5.7b-$11.9n. mostly due to the rise of TV. Ad industry spent more on Ads than state and federal fovts. spent on education
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Criticisms of ADs
Shaped popular standards and exercised social control. Manipulation eg. candy ADs targeted at bored children at the shops
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

$5620 gave 30% more speding power than in 1950

Back

Median family income and spedning power by 1960

Card 3

Front

Living rose by 2.8%, wages by 8.6%

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

US emerged from WWII in a better economic shape than rivals, American industry and transportation industry benefitted from cheap oil, investement in research led to technological advances that increased productivity and the baby boom encouraged buyin

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

151.7 million to 180.7 million

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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