Chapter 35

Question 1

Assess the impact of the Sunbelt Shift on California.

Answer 1

Increased economic activity, etc.

Question 2

Trace the evolution of the high-technology and defense industries in post-World War II California. How did defense industries fare in each of these decades: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s? What benefits have these industries brought to the state, and what new problems have they created?

Answer 2

High-tech: NA?
Defense: WWII, Cold War, & space race spending 1940s, ’50s, ’60s provided much needed employment. Vietnam Syndrome during stagflation of 1970s reduced spending & jobs. Reagan Revolution 1980s military build-up created many jobs. Post-Cold War defense spending cut by 25% (plus general recession) during the early 1990s hit CA particularly hard. War on Terror revived CA defense companies.

Question 3

What world region has become California’s major trading partner?

Answer 3

Asian countries? Mexico? Canada?

Question 4

What were California’s top tourist attractions in recent years?

Answer 4

NA?

Question 5

At what rate did California’s GNP grow from 1960 to 1985? How did CA recover from the recession of the early 1990s?

Answer 5

It doubled. NA?

Question 6

Why has California’s high-tech industry generally succeeded? Discuss the dot-com trends of the early 21st century.

Answer 6

NA?

Question 7

What trends seem to have threatened California’s agricultural prosperity in recent years?

Answer 7

NA?