Economy 1951-79 Flashcards
What was the post-war consensus? (4)
- Belief in a mixed economy
- Desire for full employment
- Support of the welfare
state - Apply Keynesian economics (Government intervention to ensure economic demand)
Who was in Government from 1951-64?
The Conservative party
Name 3 positive economic indicators from 1951-64
- Post war boom and age of affluence
- 1955: less than 1% of the workforce are unemployed
- Expansion of engineering and electrical sectors
Why was the increase in the Engineering and Electrical sectors good for the economy? (2)
- More jobs
2. more cars, steel and other metals were available
How much money was given away in the form of tax cuts in 1955?
£134 Million
Why did the tax cuts of 1955 help the economy?
more money in peoples pockets encouraged spending
How many more imported goods could Britain provide in the late 1950s compared to 1951?
29%
What was the effect of increased import goods in the late 1950s?
British people had the highest income on average in any major country aside from the U.S.
How much money did the “Giveaway budget” of April 1959 provide
£370 million of tax cuts
How much did the British economy grow from 1960-1964?
From 4% in 1963 to nearly 6% in 1964
How much did exports grow between 1961-64?
10%
Name 4 negative economic indicators from 1951-64
- Run on the pound from the Suez crisis
- Britain was trapped in the “Stop-go” cycle. This led to major cabinet divisions, predominantly in 1957-58
- 1961: “Pay pause” and IMF loan application
- 1952-59: UK had weak industrial production rates compared to the US and Western European nations
I) What year did Britain apply for the EEC?
II) Why did they apply?
III) What was the result?
I) 1961
II) Slow economic
development compared to the UK
III) The application was rejected in 1963
I) When was the National Economic Development Council created?
II) Why?
I) 1961
II) They were tasked with creating a safe, long-term economic plan
I) When was the Beeching report published?
II) What did it do?
I) 1963
II) Reviewed public
expenditure and recommended massive cuts on the railway network
From 1961-64, how much higher were imports than exports?
20%
How did men’s weekly wage change from 1951-61?
It increased from £8.30 to £15.35
What brought inflation in the years 1951-64?
Wage growth was higher than the rate of production
Name 4 aspects of the Age of Affluence
1) Pre-war slums replaced with new towns (Harlow, Essex etc)
2) Massive increase to private savings in 1952
3) Home ownership increased due to access to cheaper mortgages
4) surge in ownership of
consumer goods
Between 1957-59, how much did the ownership in TVs rise?
32%
I) How much did car ownership rise between 1957-1959?
II) What did this lead to?
I) 25%
II) An increased desire for new roads and motorways
When did the construction of the motorway system begin?
1958