Test Guide: Postwar America 1950s

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

A relief, recovery, and reform effort that gave 2.5 million poor citizens jobs and land. It brought cheap electric power, low-cost housing, cheap nitrates, and the restoration of eroded soil.

Raised minimum wage

Although the fair deal did not include all of Truman's programs, it increased social security benefits, extended these benefits to 10 million more people.

Federal Highway Act

Appropriating $25 billion for the construction of interstate highways over a 20-year period, it was the largest public works project in American history to that point.

Who were Baby Boomers?

Babies born between late 1940's and early 1960's. The babies of the "Baby Boom." Young couples who had put off getting married during World War II and the Korean War could finally begin their families. The government encouraged the growth of families by offering generous GI benefits for home purchases. Popular culture celebrated pregnancy, parenthood, and large families.

New consumer goods reigned in the 1950s - what were the two most popular consumer goods of the decade?

Car's and TV's

Examples of medical breakthroughs in the 1950s?

Cardiopulmanary resucitation, polio vaccine (oral and injection), Valve replacements, Raditation treatment, Chemotherapy

The Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC)

Created in 1932 to make loans to banks, insurance companies, and railroads, it was intended to provide emergency funds to help businesses overcome the effects of the Depression. It was later used to finance wartime projects during WW II.

Reasons for mass consumerism in the 1950s?

Disposable income Mass advertising and marketing

Juvenile delinquency rose dramatically in the 1950s - what did experts feel contributed to that?

Experts blamed television, movies, comic books, racism, busy parents, a rising divorce rate, lack of religion, and anxiety over the military draft.

Eisenhower did spend big money on a massive project that has lasted - what was that?

Federal Highway Act, the largest public works program in American history. The act provided for a $25 billion, 10-year project to build more than 40,000 miles (64,400 km) of interstate highways.

Eisenhower was a fiscal conservative - what type of policies do fiscal conservatives believe in?

Fiscal Conservatives (mostly elderly people) believed in avoiding deficient spending, reducing government spending, free markets, reducing debt, and privatizing.

Who were Beatniks? (Influential people in the 50s railed against consumerism and materialism. They wanted the people to not conform)

Groups of primarily white writers and artists criticized American culture for its sterility, conformity, and emptiness, no materialism through books and poems. it led to civil rights movements.

Companies began to franchise in the 1950s - for what reasons would they have (franchises)?(able to run multiple stores of a larger chain and make more money)

It was popular, efficient, and consistent

Which Fair Deal programs were passed by Congress?

National Housing Act of 1949 low-income tax raised minimum wage social security

Aid for farmers or schools

One of the acts not passed

Truman's civil rights legislation

One of the acts not passed

Describe white-collar jobs?

Professional, Desk, Managerial, or Administrative work

Aid to businesses and public housing

Program which was cut

Who were the Dixiecrats that opposed Truman?

The Dixiecrats were democrats from the deep south formed in 1948 that opposed Truman

When Eisenhower came in he cut some New Deal and Fair Deal programs - which Fair Deal programs did he cut?

The Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), aid to businesses and public housing

Why was Truman unpopular and an underdog in the 1948 election?

The democratic nominee, defeated heavily-favored Republican Governor Thomas E. Dewey, even though most observers gave Truman little chance of winning and viewed his administration as inept.

How did people leaving cities lead to the deterioration of the cities? (The first suburban town was "levit town.")

These are taxpayers, so when they leave, the city is left with much less revenue provide public transportation and housing, better schools and other services such as public works. Stores close because consumers are gone leaving even fewer taxes for the city government. The urban renewal programs (Housing Act of 1949 was one) which tore down slums and built high-rise housing for the poorer residents often created an atmosphere of violence.

National Housing Act of 1949

This act provided for the construction of 810,000 units of low-income housing accompanied by long-term rent subsidies.

What is the downside to franchising?

Took away freedom of thinking, the conformity was changing people and people become uncertain of their values and become more shallower and free with their money. (LACK OF INDIVIDUALISM)

Examples of scientific breakthroughs in the 1950s?

Transistor, Computers, aviation, tiny electric generator

Low income tax

UK and USA

National Health Insurance

a program—that has been proposed in a variety of ways over the last few generations—to provide the financing, policies, and regulations to guarantee all or almost all Americans' medical health insurance. One of the acts not passed.

Companies went multinational in the 1950's - for what reasons would they expand overseas?

be located near raw materials benefit from a cheap labor pool.

Social Security

federal program of disability and retirement benefits that covers most working people

Which Fair Deal programs were not passed by Congress?

national health insurance aid for farmers or schools Truman's civil rights legislation.